Cognitive behavior modification for the reduction of test anxiety among Chinese high school students in Bacolod City

• Main Author: Pai Li, Shueh
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1985
• Subjects: Behavior modification; Cognition; Counseling; Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1159
• Institution: De La Salle University

The present study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive behavior modification (CBM) program in reducing the test anxiety of the high school students of St. John's Institute in Bacolod City. Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions: 1. Is there a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test means on the STABS in the experimental group? 2. Is there a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test means on the STABS in the control group? 3. Is there a significant difference between the post-test means on the STABS between the experimental and control groups? 4. Is there a significant difference between the gain scores of the experimental and control groups? 5. Is there a significant difference between the post-test and delayed post-test means on the STABS of the experimental and control groups? 6. What aspects of the program did the participants find helpful? In what way?The Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale (STABS) was administered to 110 second year high school students to identify those students having a high test anxiety. Thirty students were selected and were randomly assigned to either a control group or experimental group with each group consisting of 15 members. The experimental group was instructed by the researcher using cognitive behavior modification program for 12 hours in 10 sessions. The cognitive procedure was given more time in the early sessions, and the modified desentization procedure received more attention in the latter sessions. The control group spent equivalent time in contact with their own teachers in the course of their usual program. Pre-posttest analysis revealed significant effects of the CBM program in reducing the test anxiety of the experimental group students when compared with the control group members. An evaluation was conducted with students who underwent treatment. A delayed post-test was given to the experimental and control groups after a lapse of one month to check the effectivity of the CBM program. The results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater (pre-post test) decrease in test anxiety than the non-treatment control group. A comparison of the results of the immediate and delayed post-tests showed that there is no significant change in the means of the experimental and control groups. From the results, it was noted that the experimental group which underwent the CBM became less anxious than the control group.Upon investigation and analysis of the findings and results of this study, the researcher was led to conclude that: 1. cognitive behavior modification is an effective technique in reducing test anxiety among Chinese high school sophomores. 2. The program is perceived to be helpful to the participants. 3. The improvement brought about by the training program endured over a period of time.It was therefore recommended that CBM program should be integrated into the guidance program of St. John's Institute since it is an effective method for the reduction of test anxiety.