Gum Chewing Improves Adolescents’ Math Performance in an SAT Preparatory Course

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of gum chewing on students’ performance in a preparatory course for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). A total of 182 adolescents enrolled in an SAT preparatory class were randomized into one of two treatments: 1) gum chewing condition (GCC) that provided Wrigley's sugar‐free gum to chew during the SAT prep class, SAT prep homework, and testing situations or 2) a control condition with no gum (NGC). Students were administered a practice test at baseline during which all participants did not chew gum and again at two months. Students randomized to the GCC chewed gum during the 2 month practice test, while students in the NGC did not chew gum. A total of 116 students completed both practice tests. All students showed improved scores at 2 months in math, reading, writing, and total score (F=21.5, p<.001; F= 20.7 p<.001; F=63.6 p<.001; F= 51.9, p<.001). Differences in improvement between the NGC and the GCC were examined. Students in the GCC demonstrated a greater improvement in their math scores compared the NGC (F=6.52, p<.0125). However, there were no differences in improvement between the GCC and NGC for the reading, writing, and total scores. These results suggest that chewing gum may be a cost‐effective and easily implemented method to improve math scores in testing situations similar to the SAT. Supported by a grant from The Wrigley Science Institute.