Does the height of the exam room's ceiling affect test scores? New study: This may be true!

By this time, final exams from elementary school to university should be over, and the results of the college entrance examination and high school entrance examination have also been announced. Some people are happy and some are sad.

The good news is that after several years of hard work, many students have achieved ideal results and have been successfully admitted to their favorite schools. The bad news is that some students' results are not as good as expected and they need to face new challenges and choices.

Taking an exam in a stadium (Source: AI generated by the author)

There may be many reasons for not doing well in the exam, including insufficient review, excessive psychological pressure, nervousness in the exam room, poor physical condition, etc. In addition, the exam environment will also affect the test results, such as insufficient light, noise interference, and uncomfortable temperature.

A new study recently found that the ceiling height of the examination room may also affect students' concentration and performance, thereby affecting their final grades.

Can the height of the ceiling really affect test scores?

Research from the University of South Australia and Deakin University has revealed a link between rooms with high ceilings and poorer exam performance. The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology by two PhD students with backgrounds in architecture and psychology, showed the impact of building design on the ability to perform tasks.

Research reveals link between high-ceiling rooms and poorer test scores (Source: Reference 1)

The researchers analyzed data from 15,400 undergraduate students at three Australian universities over nine years from 2011 to 2019 and compared the relationship between students' exam scores and the height of the exam room ceilings.

After accounting for individual differences in students and prior performance in the course, they found that students who took the exam in a room with a higher ceiling performed below expectations. In other words, having a high ceiling in the exam room can affect students' exam performance.

The high ceiling of the examination room affects the test results (Source: Literature 1)

In addition to the exam room's ceiling height, the researchers also considered factors such as the student's age, gender, exam time, and whether they had exam experience in related courses. But it's hard to determine whether it's the size of the exam room itself, or factors such as student density or poor insulation that cause temperature and air fluctuations that affect students' brains and bodies.

However, we may be able to further explore the relationship between the ceiling and test scores from the perspective of "focus".

Why does a high ceiling affect the performance of candidates?

We generally believe that larger open spaces promote creative thinking and flexibility, especially in work environments that require teamwork and interaction.

However, open spaces can also increase noise and distractions, which can affect concentration. Smaller, enclosed spaces are generally thought to help with focus and reduce distractions. A personal office or quiet corner can provide a more ideal environment for tasks that require high concentration.

Larger open spaces can promote creative thinking and flexibility (Source: AI generated by the author)

Based on an analysis of data from 15,400 students, it appears that large rooms and high ceilings can be detrimental to students. But researchers still need to understand which brain mechanisms are at work and whether this affects all students the same way.

The researchers then conducted another experiment using virtual reality (VR) to measure the brain activity of participants in different rooms while controlling other factors such as temperature, light and noise in the room.

Participants tested via VR (Source: AI generated by the author)

Using a technique called electroencephalography (EEG), the researchers measured the participants' brain responses as they moved through rooms of varying sizes. They also measured the participants' heart rate, breathing, and sweating to see if they could unconsciously detect changes in their environment.

In these VR experiments, the researchers found that simply sitting in a larger room produced brain activity associated with focused processing of difficult tasks. This prompted the researchers to speculate whether task performance would be reduced in larger spaces. Larger spaces could cause the brain to be distracted when perceiving and processing changes in the environment, which could affect the efficiency of task execution.

This phenomenon suggests that the physical characteristics of the environment not only affect our psychological state, but may also directly affect our cognitive function and work performance.

7 tips to improve your concentration

Of course, changing the height of a room is often difficult to do, but we can start by adjusting ourselves.

1

Establish clear goals

Setting specific daily, weekly, and monthly goals will help you stay focused and be more productive.

2

Time Management

Use the Pomodoro Technique (e.g., work for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes) to help you stay focused and prevent burnout.

3

Optimize the environment

Keep your work environment tidy and free from distractions. Ensure there is adequate lighting and a comfortable temperature.

4

Take adequate rest

Take a 5-10 minute break every hour to avoid excessive fatigue.

5

Eat healthy and get enough sleep

Making sure you get enough nutrients and maintain good sleep habits can help your brain function.

6

sports

Regular exercise can improve concentration and memory.

7

Use the tools

Use a to-do app or calendar to help manage tasks and time.

These methods can help you improve your focus and efficiency.

summary

The size of the room and the height of the ceiling do have some impact on attention and cognitive performance. Many universities and schools use large indoor spaces such as stadiums to conduct exams to simplify logistics and reduce costs.

It is vital that schools recognise the potential impact of the physical environment on student performance on exams and make the necessary adjustments to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed.

The researchers' findings will enable us to better design the buildings we live and work in so that we can perform at our best, not just on exams, but also in study and work. Of course, as the saying goes, the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, and high scores must be obtained through hard work. If the test scores are really outrageous, the high ceilings cannot be used as an excuse.

So, do you still remember how high the ceiling was for your most important exam that year?

References

[1]Isabella S. Bower et al, Elevated ceiling heights reduce the cognitive performance of higher-education students during exams, Journal of Environmental Psychology (2024).

[2]IS Bower, GM Clark, R. Tucker, AT Hill, JAG Lum, MA Mortimer, et al. Enlarged interior built environment scale modulates high-frequency EEG oscillations. eneuro, Vol. 9, ENEURO (2022), pp. 104-122

Planning and production

Author: Denovo, PhD, Beijing Institute of Technology

Reviewer: Yang Xiaoyang, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University

Planning丨Ding Zong

Editor: Ding Zong

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin