The Comparison of Three Approaches to the Reduction of Test Anxiety in High School Students. Final Report.

The relative effectiveness of client-centered, rational-emotive, and desensitization therapies in reducing test anxiety among high school students was investigated. The sample was drawn from 2336 students in grades 10 through 12 who were administered the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Thirty-three subjects with high State anxiety but average or low Trait anxiety were selected. Each student was counseled from seven to eleven times during a five-week period by advanced graduate students. Each student was randomly assigned to one of four groups, i.e. client-centered, rational-emotive, desensitization, or no-treatment control Counselor training sequences were designed for each of the three therapeutic approaches. Criterion measures were pre and post administrations of the STAI; psychogalvanic skin response (GSR) measures; and heart rate (HR) response measures. There were no significant differences between the four groups in the STAI; but significant differences at <.05 level were found in the predicted direction between group treatments and controls on criteria of GSR and HR. Post hoc analyses disclosed significance for the desensitization treatment group on GSR, and the rational-emotive treatment group on heart rate. Final analysis revealed differences only with the rational-emotive treatment group and controls on H.R. (Author/PR)