<p>Writings and movies of all times have extolled the effect of willpower effusively. Typically, we often see the hero almost losing to the treacherous villian, but then he reflects on his parents, acquaintances or girlfriend(s), and the sacrifice they have made for him. What comes next is that our hero suddenly gains a kind of super power to beat the hell out of his opponent, thus emerging victorious. Eventually he is shown hugging his girlfriend(s) over the dead body of the poor villian, or alternatively, he simply fades into the sunset…</p>
<p>OK so the hero wins. My question is: what about us? Has your willpower ever helped you succeed in SAT? Once I was so desperate about a CR passage (Charles Dicken’s passage about Trabb’s boy, just so you know). I started thinking about my family, particularly my parents, who have been working so hard in order that I can study well. I promised myself to definitely repay their kindness someday. However, as I got fired up, I completely forgot what the passage was about.</p>
<p>In a broader term, willpower may help you get your muscles up a few more times in a physical challenge, but does it help you in an intellectual challenge, especially a timed one like the SAT? Please share your thoughts.</p>
<p>It seems like you’re asking if people will do better on the SAT if they put a lot of pressure on themselves to get a high score. Everyone reacts differently to pressure. It does allow me to focus better so it definitely helps. others completely lose their focus when pressured. How have you responded in the past when you’ve tried to use your “willpower”?</p>
<p>Pressure is what I hate the most, so I do try to avoid resorting to willpower, despite its said benefit. In my opinion, willpower does not improve intellectual performance. The mind works best when it’s calm. It does, however, greatly help one persevere. Some of my friends do say that thinking about their girlfriends help them study better. So yeah, find yourself a motivation, and use it to your advantage :D</p>
<p>Scroll down to “Glucksberg” once you understand the experiment. Having a clear motive and putting pressure on yourself tends to inhibit problem-solving skills. However (and I heard this in a TED Talk, but I can’t remember which one) physical skills like running a sprint tend to improve when you have such a motive.</p>