David Yeager’s “Post-it Note” study is a well-known experiment in the field of behavioral science and education, illustrating how small psychological cues can significantly influence student motivation and performance.

Summary of the Study:

Researcher: David Yeager, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with other researchers including Greg Walton from Stanford.

Objective: To examine how messages of trust and belief in student potential can improve academic motivation and outcomes—particularly among students from marginalized backgrounds.

Study Design:

• The study involved middle and high school students, many of whom were from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds.

• Teachers gave students written feedback on essays.

• The feedback varied in tone and message.

The Key Intervention:

Some students received their feedback on an essay accompanied by a simple Post-it note with a short, handwritten message from the teacher. There were two types of notes:

1. Neutral message: e.g., “I’m giving you these comments so you have feedback.”

2. High-expectation message (the experimental group):

   “I’m giving you these comments because I have high expectations and I know you can meet them.”

Key Findings:

• Students who received the high-expectations message were significantly more likely to revise and improve their essays.

• The effect was especially strong for African American students, reducing the racial achievement gap in assignment completion and engagement.

• The message created a trusting relationship between student and teacher—students were more likely to perceive the teacher as supportive and invested in their growth.

Implications:

• A small act, like a sticky note with an encouraging message, can substantially affect student motivation and performance.

• Trust and belief in potential are powerful tools for educators.

• This study supports the idea of “wise feedback”—feedback that is framed as both honest and high-expectation-based, while communicating faith in the student’s ability to succeed.

Conclusion: The “Post-it Note” study highlights how psychological context matters in education. By sending signals that a teacher believes in a student’s potential, educators can improve outcomes with minimal resources—just a pen and a sticky note.

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com