“The Pop Quiz That Does Everything but Write Itself” Pilot Examination of the Suggestive or Acting Potential of the Word

Abstract

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light! And there was light.” These words are not only said, but they bring into being what is said. That God created man in his image and likeness is reflected in our speech. By their very nature, our words are creative: when they are uttered, they always create something. In psychological terms, words are the basis of our relationships, successes and failures, and our moods. They define and shape our social environment and govern our thoughts and actions. They influence our self-esteem, well-being, the development of our abilities, and performance and, last but not least, they can affect the functioning of our cells and bodily processes. Suggestion is the term used to describe any message, generally verbal, that has an involuntary effect on the receiver, who can transform words into action as a result. It is an essential element of communication that can occur in many social situations. In our pilot study, we used the tools of suggestive communication in instructions and questions related to a school essay and investigated their impact on performance. Keywords: suggestive communication, altered state of consciousness, performance anxiety, school performance, pop quiz