The Effect of Colored Paper on Math Performance
Loading...
Authors
Butler, Nestle N.
Issue Date
2020
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
In a student’s academic career, few subjects generate as much anxiety as math (e.g., Carey
et al., 2019). This anxiety can result in emotional reactions, such as fear of failure, and behavioral reactions, such as procrastination (Onwuegbuzie, 2004). This study examined whether different
colors of printing paper might facilitate better math performance in students and their perception
of difficulty. Participants’ math performance was measured by the number of correctly answered
questions on a test of mathematical ability. Participants, 20 males and 20 females, answered 10 moderately challenging math questions on either blue or yellow colored paper. Participants then rated the overall difficulty of the questions. Contrary to prediction, participants who took the test on blue paper answered questions more correctly than those who took the test on yellow paper, but the differences were not significant. As predicted, in the blue paper condition, both males and females rated tests less difficult than those in the yellow paper condition, but the differences were not significant. The results have implications for individuals with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, that find white paper distracting. Further research is warranted on how color impacts academic performance to facilitate optimal student performance.