Study, 1985
Do women get worse grades on exams during the premenstrual phase?
No. All 26 women in the study earned similar exam marks during the premenstrual phase compared to other times of their cycle.
What they did
Researchers looked at final exam marks of 26 final-year psychology students. They identified which phase of the menstrual cycle each woman was in when she took the exam and compared marks earned during the premenstrual phase with marks from other phases. They also measured pre-exam anxiety and checked whether women taking oral contraceptives performed differently.
What they found
There were no clear differences in exam marks between the premenstrual phase and other phases of the cycle. Anxiety levels were similar to published norms and did not appear to affect exam performance. Women taking oral contraceptives performed just as well as women not taking them.
What it means for you
Being in the premenstrual phase does not seem to put women at a disadvantage during exams. However, this study only included final-year psychology students all completing their degrees at the same time, so results might differ for other groups or types of exams.
26
women studied
26
women who completed study
About the study
- Original title
- Psychology degree examinations and the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle
- Authors
- Asso D
- Journal
- Women & health
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 26
- What was tested
- None - compared natural menstrual cycle phases
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1300/j013v10n04_08
Topics
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