The understanding of complex molecular representations is crucial for comprehending molecular scientific phenomena, but many students struggle with them. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of short written clues in dealing with molecular representations, specifically their impact on performance, self-efficacy, and stress reactions. A total of 136 secondary school students participated and engaged in tasks involving complex molecular representations in a prior knowledge test and a main test. Half of the students received clues, while the other half did not. The results showed that students who received clues performed significantly better on the test, highlighting their effectiveness for improving performance. However, the clues had no influence on self-efficacy, which remained moderate for both groups. Physiological stress responses (heart rate variability) indicated that students without clues experienced increased stress during the main test, whereas those with clues maintained lower stress levels like those in the prior knowledge test. Subjective stress levels decreased for both groups from the prior knowledge test to the main test, with students who received clues tending to report lower stress levels. In conclusion, short written clues were found to be effective in improving performance and reducing stress levels when dealing with complex molecular representations, although long-term interventions may be required to enhance self-efficacy.

理解复杂的分子表示对于理解分子科学现象至关重要，但许多学生对此感到困惑。因此，我们研究了简短的书面线索在处理分子表征方面的有效性，特别是它们对表现、自我效能和压力反应的影响。共有136名中学生参与了先验知识测试和主测试中涉及复杂分子表征的任务。一半的学生收到了线索，而另一半则没有。结果显示，收到线索的学生在测试中的表现明显更好，凸显了他们提高成绩的有效性。然而，这些线索对自我效能没有影响，两组的自我效能仍然中等。生理压力反应（心率变异性）表明，没有线索的学生在主测试中经历了更大的压力，而那些有线索的学生则像在先验知识测试中一样保持较低的压力水平。从先验知识测试到主测试，两组的主观压力水平均有所下降，收到线索的学生往往报告压力水平较低。总之，虽然可能需要长期干预来增强自我效能，但在处理复杂的分子表征时，简短的书面线索可有效提高表现并降低压力水平。