A comparison of cue-controlled relaxation and study skills counseling in the treatment of mathematics anxiety.

36 undergraduates were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions: (a) mathematics study skills training, (b) cue-controlled relaxation, (c) a combined study skills and cue-controlled relaxation treatment, or (d) no treatment. Data from both the self-report and performance domains were collected at pre- and posttreatment and at a 3-wk follow-up (Mathematics Anxiety Scale, Anxiety Differential, Test Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Digit Symbol Test and Differential Aptitude Test). Results indicate that the study skills condition produced significant improvements on self-reported mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance, and the cue-controlled relaxation and combined conditions led to significant declines in generalized test anxiety. By follow-up, however, cue-controlled relaxation was found to be superior to the other treatments on level of mathematics anxiety and performance. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of electromyographic biofeedback and cue-controlled relaxation in the treatment of test anxiety.

Studied the effect of using electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback to increase the efficacy of cue-controlled relaxation training in the treatment of test anxiety. 40 college undergraduates scoring in the upper third on the Test Anxiety Scale were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions—EMG-assisted cue-controlled relaxation, cue controlled relaxation alone, attention-placebo relaxation, and no-treatment control. Pre–post self-report measures of test anxiety, state anxiety, and trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) were obtained. In addition, a performance measure (Otis-Lennon Mental Abilities Test) was administered. Ss from the 3 relaxation groups received 6 45-min individual sessions over 2 wks. All treatments were conducted using audiotape recordings. Results indicate that cue-controlled relaxation is effective in increasing test performance for test anxious Ss, that EMG biofeedback does not contribute to the effectiveness of this procedure, and that self-report measures of anxiety are susceptible to a placebo effect. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applied relaxation as training in self-control.

81 test-anxious (Sarason's Test Anxiety Questionnaire) undergraduates who were high or low in general anxiety (the Trait form of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory--T-STAI) were treated with 1 of 4 procedures: applied relaxation, systematic desensitization, relaxation only, or no treatment (control). The effectiveness of each procedure both in reducing test anxiety and in generalizing to other fears was assessed with 3 measures of test anxiety (Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale, Wonderlic Personnel Test, and the State form of the STAI) and 3 measures of general anxiety (T-STAI, Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Anxiety Scale, and Geer's Fear Survey Schedule). Results indicate that applied relaxation was more effective in reducing anxiety than both relaxation only and no treatment on 2 of the measures of general anxiety and 2 of the measures of test anxiety, although significant differences between applied relaxation and systematic desensitization were limited to only 1 measure. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept change in behavior modification.

Studied changes in self-concept as a function of behavioral treatment for test anxiety. 72 test-anxious (Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test) undergraduates were randomly assigned to systematic desensitization (SD) relaxation-training only, or no-treatment control conditions. Levels of test anxiety, self-esteem, and self-ideal-self discrepancy are assessed prior to and following treatment. The SD and relaxation treatments were both effective in reducing test anxiety. Ss' ratings of satisfaction with treatment were equivalent in the 2 treatment conditions. SD Ss showed improvement in self-esteem and significant reductions in self-ideal-self discrepancies; however, Ss who received relaxation training only, or no treatment, did not change significantly. This differential effectiveness of the SD and relaxation procedures is discussed in terms of the beneficial effects of imagined successful coping. Comparisons of Ss' changes in test anxiety and in self-concept suggest that an explanation of change based on simple generalization of treatment effects would be sufficient. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group systematic desensitization versus covert positive reinforcement in the reduction of test anxiety.

Compared modified versions of systematic desensitization and covert positive reinforcement to a no-treatment control condition in the reduction of test anxiety in 27 undergraduates. Both experimental groups received 8 treatment sessions, and the systematic desensitization group received 2 additional sessions devoted to relaxation training. The 2 treatments were comparable and generally superior to the control group in pretest-posttest and pretest-follow-up changes as measured by the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale and the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test. On an anagrams performance test, the covert reinforcement and control groups were superior to the desensitization group. No significant differences occurred in subjectively experienced anxiety during the performance test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Ryan, Krall, and Hodges.

Reports an error in the article "Self-Concept Change in Behavior Modification" by V. L. Ryan et al (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1976[Aug], Vol 44[4], 638-645). On page 641, part of Table 1 is incorrect. Pretreatment means on the ideal self - perceived self measure should read 32.0, 37.1, and 32.2 for the systematic desensitization, relaxation only, and no-treatment control groups, respectively. Posttreatment means for the same measure should read 24.1, 29.8, and 31.0, respectively. Analyses and interpretation of results are correct as published.(The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1976-28421-001.) Studied changes in self-concept as a function of behavioral treatment for test anxiety. 72 test-anxious (Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test) undergraduates were randomly assigned to systematic desensitization (SD) relaxation-training only, or no-treatment control conditions. Levels of test anxiety, self-esteem, and self-ideal-self discrepancy are assessed prior to and following treatment. The SD and relaxation treatments were both effective in reducing test anxiety. Ss' ratings of satisfaction with treatment were equivalent in the 2 treatment conditions. SD Ss showed improvement in self-esteem and significant reductions in self-ideal-self discrepancies; however, Ss who received relaxation training only, or no treatment, did not change significantly. This differential effectiveness of the SD and relaxation procedures is discussed in terms of the beneficial effects of imagined successful coping. Comparisons of Ss' changes in test anxiety and in self-concept suggest that an explanation of change based on simple generalization of treatment effects would be sufficient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognition and desensitization in the group treatment of test anxiety.

Assessed the comparative effectiveness of cognitive, arousal reduction, and combined cognitive and arousal reduction treatments for test anxiety. 48 test-anxious volunteers who had scored above 32 on the Debilitating Anxiety scale of the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 graduate-student therapists, who provided (a) cognitive therapy, (b) systematic desensitization, (c) a combination of cognitive therapy and systematic desensitization, or (d) a pseudotherapy control procedure. 12 other test-anxious Ss were assigned to a waiting-list control group. Test anxiety was assessed both on self-report measures, in an analog testing situation prior to treatment, at the completion of treatment, and at a 1-mo follow-up. GPA was also used as a measure of academic performance. Results indicate that cognitive therapy was more effective in reducing anxiety in the analog testing situation and improving GPA than other treatment and control procedures. Systematic desensitization, combined systematic desensitization and cognitive therapy, and the pseudotherapy control procedure were not reliably different from one another. Results underline the effectiveness of cognitive therapy in treating test anxiety. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of cue-controlled desensitization, rational restructuring, and a credible placebo in the treatment of speech anxiety.

Compared the efficacy of cue-controlled desensitization and systematic rational restructuring with a placebo method (subconscious reconditioning) and a waiting-list control in reducing public speaking and nontargeted anxieties. Ss were 57 undergraduates. Cue-controlled desensitization was generally more effective than the other groups in reducing subjective speech anxiety. In general, no differential between-groups changes emerged on treatment generalization or behavioral speech anxiety measures. Although rational restructuring produced few significant pre–post changes, it did lead to significant gains on several measures by follow-up. On treatment credibility ratings, the placebo was initially perceived as less credible than rational restructuring, but this difference diminished by the middle of treatment. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Active, passive, and vicarious desensitization.

Studied 2 variations of desensitization therapy for reducing test anxiety: active desensitization in which the client describes his visualizations of the scenes and vicarious desensitization in which the client merely observes the desensitization treatment of another test-anxious client. 48 undergraduates with high scores on the Test Anxiety Scale (I. G. Sarason, 1972) were assigned to 1 of 6 groups. Active, passive, active-vicarious, and passive-vicarious desensitization groups were compared with relaxation and untreated control groups. Ss were given a battery of pre- and posttreatment measures assessing intelligence and anxiety (e.g., the Fear Survey Schedule). For measures on which desensitization had a significant effect, no significant differences were discovered between either direct and vicarious or active and passive forms of desensitization. The relaxation treatment which emphasized application of one's relaxation skills was effective. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of dental anxiety by cue-controlled relaxation.

The consequences of high dental anxiety may include decreased patient cooperation or the avoidance of dental care. Drug therapy may be contraindicated or may produce undesirable side effects. 10 adult women, self-referred for dental anxiety, were given 4 wks of cue-controlled relaxation treatment. Nonorthogonal planned comparisons indicated significant pre- to posttreatment decreases on the Dental Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety Differential, and the State Anxiety scale, and systolic blood pressure; these persisted at the follow-up testing 4 wks later. Some evidence was found to suggest that there may have been some generalization of effect beyond just the dental setting. In a 6-mo follow-up, 8 of 9 participants contacted reported that the treatment had been helpful in controlling their anxiety when visiting their dentist. Some implications for the practice of counseling and further research are mentioned. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is it the cognitive or the behavioral component which makes cognitive–behavior modification effective in test anxiety?

Seven male and 17 female university students were treated for test anxiety to study desensitization and cognitive components of D. Meichenbaum's cognitive–behavior modification treatment for test anxiety (see record 1973-20259-001) varied in a 2?×?2 factorial design. The resultant conditions were (a) desensitization only, (b) cognitive only, (c) the combination cognitive plus desensitization, and (d) neither cognitive nor desensitization (control). Each S was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. Outcome measures included the Liebert-Morris Test Anxiety Scale, self-ratings of emotionality and worry, and a digit symbol performance task. Combined cognitive treatment and desensitization were less effective than the cognitive-only treatments. Results are consistent with traditional theories of test anxiety and antithetical to a recent behavioral reformulation of test anxiety theory. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Matching stress inoculation's treatment components to client's anxiety mode.

65 speech-anxious undergraduates (determined by the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker) were classified as experiencing primarily cognitive or somatic symptoms of anxiety as measured on the Cognitive–Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire. Ss received cognitive restructuring, coping relaxation, a combined cognitive–somatic treatment (stress inoculation), or no treatment. Indices of anxiety (e.g., the Anxiety scale of the Affect Adjective Check List) were obtained. The cognitive indices of anxiety provided the strongest support for the "matching" hypothesis, in that matched treatments resulted in more facilitative patterns of cognitions relevant to the stressor. All treatments were more effective than the no-treatment control in reducing behavioral indicants of anxiety, although a self-report measure of speech anxiety failed to show such treatment effects. Results are discussed in the context of treating focused anxieties by attending to the individual's concerns in the anxiety-arousing situation. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancy, false galvanic skin response feedback, and systematic desensitization in the modification of phobic behavior.

Compared systematic desensitization and 2 pseudotherapy manipulations with and without false galvanic skin response feedback after every session suggesting improvement in the modification of intense snake and spider fear. Ss were 36 spider- and snake-phobic 18-59 yr old women. Results indicate no consistent differences between the 3 treatment groups, although all treatments were significantly more effective than no treatment in modifying physiological, behavioral, and self-report measures of fear. A 4-mo follow-up showed stability in fear reduction on self-report measures for the 3 treatment groups. Overall results contradict a traditional conditioning explanation of systematic desensitization. An alternate explanation for the operation of systematic desensitization emphasizing the motivational as opposed to conditioning aspects of the procedure is discussed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of two short-term desensitization methods in the treatment of test anxiety.

2 short-term desensitization methods, accelerated massed desensitization and anxiety management training, were compared with standard systematic desensitization in terms of reducing self-reported test anxiety in 44 high test-anxious undergraduates. Posttreatment scores on the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale indicate that all 3 treatment procedures significantly reduced test anxiety as compared with a waiting-list control group. However, self-reported anxiety following treatment for the anxiety management training group was higher than for the standard desensitization and accelerated massed desensitization groups, and the standard desensitization procedure was significantly more effective than anxiety management training. Anxiety management training, a general or nonspecific program for anxiety control, reduced test anxiety with just 1 hr of direct training in counteracting anxiety. It did not, however, reduce other salient fears as measured by scores on a fear survey schedule. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variations in cognitive behavior modification for test anxiety.

D. Meichenbaum's (see record 1973-20259-001) cognitive behavior modification treatment for test anxiety consists of a cognitive (insight) and a behavioral (modified desensitization) component. In the present experiment with 45 undergraduates, variations on the insight and the behavioral component of the program were examined. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment or 2 control groups. One group received Meichenbaum's cognitive behavior modification treatment. For a 2nd group, Meichenbaum's desensitization component was retained, but the insight component was altered by substituting specific statements concerning pressure. In the 3rd group, Meichenbaum's insight component was retained and test-taking practice was substituted for the desensitization component. All treatment groups also received study-skills training. Multiple self-report and performance measures of anxiety were obtained. The combination of Meichenbaum's insight component with test-taking practice was most effective in increasing facilitating anxiety and decreasing debilitating anxiety. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of situational and instructional demand on indices of speech anxiety.

Assessed the effects of contextual (experimental location) and instructional cues on behavioral, self-report, and physiological indices of speech anxiety. 42 male and 48 female undergraduates were randomly assigned within sex to 1 of 4 conditions in the 2 * 2 design: (a) fear-anxiety clinic, (b) fear-speech laboratory, (c) simulate relaxation therapy-anxiety clinic, and (d) simulate relaxation therapy-speech laboratory. The clinic setting produced more behavioral anxiety than the laboratory setting. The fear test instructions produced both more behavioral and self-report anxiety than the simulate relaxation therapy instructions. The fear-clinic condition produced the greatest behavioral anxiety. No significant differences were obtained for the physiological measures. The demand and expectancy effects were comparable to those obtained for rat, spider, and snake phobic Ss in earlier studies. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group vicarious desensitization of test anxiety.

Examined whether vicarious desensitization, using videotapes and a small group format, could be used as a treatment for test anxiety. 43 test anxious college students were administered the Test Anxiety Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Ss received either vicarious desensitization, study skills training, or both treatments; there was also a no-treatment control condition. Self-report measures indicated that vicarious desensitization resulted in lower test and trait anxiety than study-skills training alone or no treatment. Academic performance measures, obtained posttreatment and at a 3-mo follow-up, indicated no differential effectiveness. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)