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The impact of time between cognitive tasks on performance: Evidence from advanced placement exams

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  • Pope, Devin G.
  • Fillmore, Ian

Abstract

Students are often required to perform several mental tasks in a short period of time, and their performance is likely to depend on how closely the tasks are scheduled. We examine this phenomenon in a particular context: Advanced Placement (AP) exams in the United States. We exploit variation in the AP exam schedule from year to year which results in a student who takes two exams in one year having more or less time between the exams than a student who takes the same two exams in a different year. We find evidence that more time between exams results in higher scores, particularly on the second exam, and that this effect varies across different types of students. Our estimates suggest that a student taking two exams ten days apart is 6–8% more likely to pass them both than a student taking the same exams only one day apart.

Suggested Citation

  • Pope, Devin G. & Fillmore, Ian, 2015. "The impact of time between cognitive tasks on performance: Evidence from advanced placement exams," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 30-40.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:48:y:2015:i:c:p:30-40
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.04.002
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    1. Stefano DellaVigna, 2009. "Psychology and Economics: Evidence from the Field," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 315-372, June.
    2. Coviello, Decio & Ichino, Andrea & Persico, Nicola, 2010. "Don't Spread Yourself Too Thin: The Impact of Task Juggling on Workers' Speed of Job Completion," IZA Discussion Papers 5280, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    Cited by:

    1. D. Mark Anderson & Mary Beth Walker, 2015. "Does Shortening the School Week Impact Student Performance? Evidence from the Four-Day School Week," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 10(3), pages 314-349, July.
    2. Pina, Gonçalo, 2019. "Task scheduling and performance: Evidence from professional surf tournaments," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 75(PB).
    3. Stefano Cabras & Marco Delogu & J.D. Tena, 2023. "Forced to play too many matches? A deep-learning assessment of crowded schedule," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(52), pages 6187-6204, November.
    4. Goulas Sofoklis & Megalokonomou Rigissa, 2020. "Marathon, Hurdling, or Sprint? The Effects of Exam Scheduling on Academic Performance," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-36, April.
    5. Simon Søbstad Bensnes, 2020. "Scheduled to Gain: Short‐ and Longer‐Run Educational Effects of Examination Scheduling," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(3), pages 879-910, July.
    6. Glaser, Darrell J. & Insler, Michael A., 2022. "The deleterious effects of fatigue on final exam performance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    7. Brandon Sheridan & Ben Smith & Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles, 2017. "Short vs. long: cognitive load, retention and changing class structures," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(5), pages 501-512, September.
    8. Giorgio Brunello & Angela Crema & Lorenzo Rocco, 2021. "Some Unpleasant Consequences of Testing at Length," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(4), pages 1002-1023, August.
    9. Fazlul, Ishtiaque & Jones, Todd & Smith, Jonathan, 2021. "College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Patrick L. Warren, 2014. "Contracting officer workload, incomplete contracting, and contractual terms," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 45(2), pages 395-421, June.
    11. Brunello, Giorgio & Crema, Angela & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2018. "Testing at Length If It Is Cognitive or Non-Cognitive," IZA Discussion Papers 11603, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    AP tests; Cognitive fatigue;

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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