Ready... Set... FALSE START!
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Aug 21, 2008 Posted by Ned Johnson
So, it's the Olympics season. Watching the best athletes form countries all over the world, it's easy to get swept up in the passion, competition, and drama, wondering "I wonder whether I could..."
Apart from our couch-bound musings, few of us will ever compete at a national level, much less at an Olympic one. Hundredths or thousandths of seconds won't matter in our daily lives. A recent study about sprinters revealed that, for those for whom those fractions of seconds do matter, starting on the right foot literally makes a difference. At the core of the finding is that, there are two parts at play: reaction time and how fast a task (here running) is completed. Runners who start with the left foot back reacted faster to the starting gun. But, and here is the kicker, those starting with their right foot back were faster in taking their first step. The difference has to do with the functions performed by parts of the brain residing in the left and right hemispheres. So, while those with their left feet back may have felt faster in reacting faster they were not actually faster. If you're interested in reading more, you can find the article here.
Most standardized tests place a premium on speed. The exams are timed. However, finishing well matters more than finishing quickly. And, to the degree that finishing quickly does matter, the key is in executing efficiently not in starting quickly. What I mean is this: many students, understandably anxious about time, jump at questions, using the first method that enters their minds. They want to be the first out of the gate but they are running the wrong way. Years ago, while taking the SAT, I decided to try to set my PR. (as though one should have a personal record on the SAT, but no matter.) As I worked to take the test quickly, I realized that what I was doing was moving quickly, but not by reacting quickly. In fact, I was very purposefully sitting back a bit, thinking through the question and the methods at my disposal. Then, after considering my options, I was able to choose the easiest/fastest/simplest method. Others in the room had a head start, but I had a shortcut! In the end, being fast (or, in the context of standardized tests, efficient) is more about finishing a task quickly (well) than starting it quickly.