 Exams can be stressful, and everyone looks for a way to make those scores go up. Wouldn't it be relieving to know that the answer lies in gum? Yes, that small, chewy, fruity piece of gum is your key to success. So sit down, grab a stick of gum, and chew. In the Scientific Journal Appetite, a study by Professor Anipra shows that if you chew gum before a test, your performance will increase slightly, as opposed to testing without gum. 224 St. Lawrence University undergraduates were tested and divided into three groups. Chewing gum before and during the test, chewing gum for five minutes before the test, and not chewing gum at all. Results showed that those who chewed gum before the test scored best. But their scores leveled out to normal after an average of 20 minutes. Scores were best right after chewing the gum. Professor Anipra stated that chewing gum led to a significant increase in working memory, and overall, incognitive function. While the results were statistically significant, they were described by Anipra as showing a difference of two to three words. It must be noted that chewing gum during the test did not improve any performance, as it may have taken away from the function of a brain. Chewing the gum during the test distracts the brain from the test at hand. Though Professor Anipra's study does show that gum chewing improves performance, there is only speculation and theories as to why. Initially, some had thought that the rise in glucose from the gum caused better performance, but this theory has been disproven as sugar-free gum gave the same results. Mastication-induced arousal, the increase in blood flow to the brain caused by chewing, was another theory, as it increased awareness. Another study done by Coventry University discovered that mint-flavored gum significantly decreased sleepiness in students. A pupilographic sleepiness test was given to the students and showed that they were less exhausted while chewing the gum. This would give quite an advantage to those chewing mint gum over those not chewing gum at all. Do you believe that chewing gum helps performance during tests? Are you willing to give it a go? Don't forget to subscribe for more helpful tips and let us know in the comments below if you tried it. Thank you so much for watching our video. I'm Ashley. You can follow me on some of my links below. Be sure to follow Psych2Go on any of these platforms. See you in the next video!