--- title: Do premenstrual symptoms affect how well women study or perform academically? description: No. Even though many students felt their premenstrual symptoms disrupted their work, no actual change was found in exam or test performance, or in how student url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/student-learning-and-the-menstrual-cycle-premenstrual-symptoms-and-approaches-to-1989/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do premenstrual symptoms affect how well women study or perform academically? Survey study, 1989 # Do premenstrual symptoms affect how well women study or perform academically? No. Even though many students felt their premenstrual symptoms disrupted their work, no actual change was found in exam or test performance, or in how students approached their studying, around this time of the month. Early or limited evidence Female university students taking human science degrees ## What they did Female students taking degree courses in the human sciences filled in a questionnaire about premenstrual symptoms and their academic work. A separate investigation then looked at the same students' approaches to studying at different points in the menstrual cycle, comparing the premenstrual phase with the rest of the cycle, and also comparing women with male students. ## What they found Most students believed their premenstrual symptoms disrupted their academic work. Despite this belief, existing evidence showed no effect of menstruation on academic performance measured by tests or exams. The study of approaches to studying found no variations in women's study orientations during the premenstrual phase, either compared with their own orientations at other times of the cycle or compared with male students. ## What it means for you Feeling that your period affects your ability to study does not mean it actually changes your academic performance. This was a survey and comparison study with no control over other factors, done in one group of students, so it cannot prove what causes the mismatch between how women feel and how they actually perform. ## About the study Original title Student Learning and the Menstrual Cycle: premenstrual symptoms and approaches to studying Authors John T. E. Richardson Journal Educational Psychology Year 1989 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/0144341890090304](https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341890090304) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 2026 Does Kundalini Reiki help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? Randomised trial, 2026 Does calcium and vitamin D supplementation reduce PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Randomised trial, 2026 Does a warm footbath help PMS symptoms and sleep quality? Randomised trial, 2025 Which is more effective for PMS - Vitagnus, soy, or both together? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗