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1 – 1 of 1Charles N. Noussair and Kierstin Seaback
The authors consider whether the emotional states of happiness and fear causally affect test performance using a new experiment. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Abstract
Purpose
The authors consider whether the emotional states of happiness and fear causally affect test performance using a new experiment. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Happiness and fear are induced with 360-degree videos shown in virtual reality before participants take a test consisting of mathematics scholastic aptitude tests (SAT) questions.
Findings
The results show that scores improve by 0.48 standard deviations under the happiness condition, and the effect is particularly large for women (0.75 s.d.). Inducing fear has no effect on test scores.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to employ virtual reality for emotion induction. It establishes that test scores can be improved by inducing an emotional state of happiness shortly before the test.
Details