I can’t help but wondering how big our ‘kitten’ will be when it becomes a cat?!!
Here is what I am reading today:
“A new study from Lancaster University has found that sleeping on a problem really can help people to find a solution.”
“New research published in the journals of the Association for Psychological Science explores mind wandering in various contexts, examining how mind wandering is related to cognitive processes involved in working memory and executive control.
Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation
Benjamin Baird, Jonathan Smallwood, Michael D. Mrazek, Julia W. Y. Kam, Michael S. Franklin, and Jonathan W. Schooler”
“In the new study, researchers in England used computer tests to assess levels of anxiety and working memory in 96 students, aged 12 to 14. Good working memory is generally associated with better school performance. The students were then tested on their general thinking and math skills. The researchers found that in students with a good working memory, anxiety was associated with higher test scores. In students with a poor working memory, anxiety led to lower test results, according to the report published Oct. 12 in the British Journal of Psychology.”
“Looking for the right people to fill out your survey? Meet SurveyMonkey Audience, home to millions of qualified respondents ready to take your surveys and give you the feedback you need to make better decisions. “
12 Comments
vylu · October 16, 2012 at 3:15 pm
I’m not sure if I stand behind the research that was done with the pre-test jitters article. It said that anxiety could help a person’s skills if they had good working memory but could lower results if they had poor working memory. That being said, couldn’t that just say that most people get nervous when taking tests but people who have good memories score better than people with bad memories? Unless you’re completely apathetic about test taking in general, which I feel most people are not, doesn’t that just have a positive correlation between studying and good grades?
On the other article about sleep helping solve problems, I definitely find that article to be interesting. I’ve gone to bed thinking about problems and woken up with an “ah-ha!” solution. It’s crazy how the mind can solve problems while you’re asleep. If only students had more time for sleep…
mminor · October 17, 2012 at 9:14 am
In reading the “Sleep On It” article I found it interesting that so few participants were evaluated. Maybe the research doesn’t require a ton of people. This study makes me wonder if these participants were hooked up to an imaging tool would there be more firing of neurons while sleeping when there is a difficult problem to be solved vs a normal night of sleep or is it truly just a rested mind that provides a clearer understanding of the problem the next morning. I am sure there are more valuable ways to spend research time and money but it would be fun to know what actually caused the subject to be able to solve the problem after sleeping.
AlexandraKanemaru · October 17, 2012 at 8:06 pm
In the article, “Pre-test jitters might boost scores, study says” I found that there may be some confounding variables that were not mentioned in this particular article. For one thing, the sample size and demographic of the group is at a younger age then expected for a study with this result. Or the results may not be applicable to an older demographic but may only represent a 12-14 year old age range. Second, I found that students with anxiety may gain this sense of worry because they have the desire to perform well on an exam. Conversely, someone who does not feel the effects of anxiety may not care what grade he/she receives on the test. Therefore, feeling little if no anxiety before the test is administered. With more pressure, may come more time preparing, therefore a desire to perform above one who did not prepare themselves.
ndjohnson · October 19, 2012 at 2:02 pm
In the article “for big problems….sleep on it,” it was interesting to confirm the notion that the answer comes to you in your sleep. The article explained that in our sleep, the brain is able to access what the author describes as information remote to the initial problem. When we are awake and attempting a difficult problem, it is easy to get clouded by the frustration of trying to find the right answer, as well pressures such as time constraints. Sleep allows the mind to use “spread activation” to find the solution not first considered. This information explains how after a test students realize the mistake they initially fumbled on and criticize themselves for not realizing it earlier.
ndjohnson · October 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm
As a student, reading “prejitters may be good for you” was a form of confirmation about my test taking skills. I have noticed that when I get that spurt of anxiety before I test, I can recall a great deal more information than when I feel completely calm before a test. It feels as though jolt ensures me that my brain is working hard to remember facts and other details. Though this may not be what is occurring, it is more assuring to believe that my brain accesses more of my memory when in an excited state. However, as the research recognizes, the amount of anxiety a person feels before a test can negatively impact a person’s memory, referred to as poor working memory. I feel as though outside factors can influence when anxiety crosses over into stress than affects a student’s performance.
BenSimon · October 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm
As somebody whose mind frequently wanders “aimlessly,” I was really pleased to read the article “More than just ‘zoning out.'” I have found that most of my best creative ideas and projects have been the product of what was once dismissed as “zoning out.” I also agree with the article’s author that it isn’t a productive usage of class time, at least in terms of learning material covered in class….
BenSimon · October 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm
As somebody whose mind frequently wanders “aimlessly,” I was really pleased to read the article “More than just ‘zoning out.'” I have found that most of my best creative ideas and projects have been the product of what was once dismissed as “zoning out.” I also agree with the article’s author that it isn’t a productive usage of class time, at least in terms of learning material covered in class….
LeahMonteleone · October 22, 2012 at 9:43 am
As I read “For Big Problems, Sleep on it” I found it very interesting yet it lacked necessary credibility. Only about 60 subjects were experimented on, such a small number for such an appealing experiment relatable to so many. The fact that sleep can facilitate problem solving baffles me; it is astounding that we can generate solutions to big problems while we sleep. “Sleep appears to help us solve problems by accessing information that is remote to the initial problem, that may not be initially brought to mind” predicts that our brain never stops working, even during our deepest sleep. This concerns me because I often cram for tests, staying up late the night before. If our brain processes these important things during sleep, it encourages me to get a good night’s rest before my exam instead of restricting my brain of necessary down time.
csommo · October 24, 2012 at 8:28 am
As I was reading the article on pre test jitters, I couldn’t help but wonder how reliable the research was. I am sure that there are people who are able to surpress anxiety while taking tests, but I feel that in general, nerves can really get in the way of a clear thought process. I remember taking a Psychology class in which the professor had mentioned that when someone experiences anxiety, a receptor in the brain is actually blocked. This receptor was responsible for memory and forming articulated thoughts. Of course there is the possibility that is is untrue, but from personal experience I can relate to this feeling: being nervous and being unable to remember things that I really do know, or being unable to form clear thoughts. I would be interested in finding out the background of the research used to form the conclusions made in this article. It is a very interesting topic.
fionachung. · October 28, 2012 at 12:42 pm
While reading “pre-test jitters may be good for you,” and “for big problems, sleep on it,” I can’t help but relate my own experiences to the two articles. I found it very interesting that people with anxiety before exams do better. For me, personally, I don’t like feeling too anxious before my exams because I tend to blank out and over-think many concepts. As for”big problems, sleep on it,” I was very surprised to read that sleep can actually benefit a person to solve difficult problems. I always try to solve all the difficulties I have before sleeping, because I feel that the time sleeping can be spent on problem solving but reading this article makes me feel like I should rethink my ways of problem solving.
crfan_21 · October 29, 2012 at 8:08 pm
The article on problem solving in our sleep presented an interesting idea. Problems can be draining both physically and emotionally. When I face a big problem, I usually feel so drained and tired that I go to sleep and wake up feeling quite refreshed. Now I realize that this sleeping off my problems isn’t just rest but that sleeping also fuels my problem solving capabilities. It is amazing that our brains have this capability to bring the presenting problem to mind while we are sleeping. However, while this is a very interesting and promising phenomena, I don’t believe that this article provides enough evidence and that the original study did not observe enough people for the results to be considered sound.
CaitlinMorris · November 26, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Old Adage ‘Sleep On It’ Is True — But Only If It’s a Really Difficult Problem, Study Shows
I really enjoyed this article because I tend to solve a lot of my math problems in my sleep and wake up in the morning knowing the correct method needed to solve the problem. Nonetheless, the fact that this study had such a small sample size tends to undermine the validity of their results. An excellent secondary study would be to isolate the biological pathway involved in unconsciously problem solving.
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