Relatable and Humorous Videos Reduce Hyperarousal in Math Exams

We report on a study investigating the sympathetic and performance effects of relatable humorous videos in undergraduate math exams. We recruited 20 lower division students to test this novel form of questioning. The students took a foundational math exam that included 12 items from each of the following three categories: Abstract A, Word W, and Video V, where A featured formula-based questions and W analytic questions expressed in plain descriptive form. The V category had questions similar to the W category, but expressed in relatable humorous video form. Sympathetic arousal was measured through facial electrodermal activity (EDA(f)) and heart rate (HR), where the former was extracted via thermal imaging, and the latter through smartwatches. Results from both the EDA(f) and HR channels indicate that questions expressed in relatable humorous video form significantly curtail hyperarousal with respect to similar questions expressed in plain descriptive form. Furthermore, the study's results suggest that exam performance is negatively affected by pre-exam anxiety, while is positively affected by generous time allotment. The said findings highlight the potential of V questions in making the math experience less stressful and more endearing to undergraduate students. Due to the importance of foundational math courses, such a change stands to bring downstream benefits to STEM education.