Evaluation of two test-anxiety reduction treatments in a secondary prevention program.

Full Abstract

The study evaluated the effectiveness of both a new anxiety management training program and a cognitive modification procedure as part of a secondary prevention effort to identify and treat test anxiety early in the academic career of college students. Subjects were 40 college freshmen who had been identified as high test-anxious in an initial mail-out survey of the Test Anxiety scale. Subjects were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: anxiety management training, a cognitive modification procedure, and a no-treatment control group. Results indicated that both the cognitive modification and anxiety management training treatments were effective in reducing test anxiety on a posttreatment administration of the Test Anxiety scale. Especially interesting, a significant difference in academic performance emerged between treatment and control groups three semesters after treatment, underscoring the preventive value of the program.

Author information

Author/s: Holahan, C J (CJ); Richardson, F C (FC); Puckett, S P (SP); Bell, K F (KF);

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal: American journal of community psychology (Am J Community Psychol), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1979-Dec; vol 7 (issue 6) : pp 679-87

Dates: Created 1980/02/28; Completed 1980/02/28; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 517468, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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