Does Happiness Raise Test Scores? Does Fear Lower Them? Experimental Evidence

Charles Noussair and Kierstin Seaback

No 2022-05, Experimental Economics Center Working Paper Series from Experimental Economics Center, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University

Abstract: In this paper, we consider whether emotional state affects test performance using a new experiment. Happiness and fear are induced with 360-degree videos shown in virtual reality before participants take a test consisting of Mathematics SAT questions. The results show that scores improve by .48 standard deviations under the Happiness condition, and the effect is particularly large for women (.75 s.d.). Inducing fear has no effect on test scores.

Pages: 13
Date: 2022-06
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http://excen.gsu.edu/workingpapers/GSU_EXCEN_WP_2022-05.pdf (application/pdf)

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Journal Article: Does happiness raise test scores – does fear lower them – experimental evidence (2023)
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