Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Theses (Ed.S.)--Marshall University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains 25 p. Bibliography: p. 24-25.

In 1982, it was reported that one in every three students who fail at South African universities, do not pass because of experiences of excessive anxiety resulting from university examinations. A survey conducted amongst student counsellors and counselling services on all South African university campuses, revealed a deficiency of group and individual therapy for this phenomenon of examination anxiety. The cause of this deficiency, was found to be the already excessive demands made on the time of student counsellors. Noting a similar situation at Rhodes University, the present investigation was initiated, with the aim of developing an economical group counselling programme for test anxious students on Rhodes campus. Sixty-four Rhodes students (who identified themselves as test anxious) volunteered for this investigation. These Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment programmes (each divided into two groups, where Group A, N=6 and Group B, N=7) and a wait-list control group (N=12). Three of the treatments featured multicomponent programmes, each offering a cluster of behavioural interventions centred around: Study Skills Training/Counselling; Systematic Desensitisation (Using individually-constructed anxiety hierarchies); Systematic Desensitisation (Using group-constructed anxiety hierarchies). Included in addition, was a single-component treatment, featuring cognitive modification: a component much favoured by local test anxiety counsellors. Given adverse reports concerning the efficacy of single component programmes, when contrasted with multi component treatments, the cognitive modification package was included as a placebo. A battery of measures was used to assess test anxiety and progress made by Subjects to assuage its debilitative effects . The measures included: (a) Six Self-report measures (including a treatment evaluation schedule and the maintenance of a diary of experience by each Subject); (b) Two measures of physiological reactivity, viz. pulse rate and finger sweat print; and (c) One 'observable' measure, that of academic performance. Using these measures, an assessment of the performance gains or losses by each of the Subjects, was made on three occasions: at pre-treatment, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up. In support of the a priori hypotheses, the systematic desensitisation and study skills multicomponent programmes, realised significant gains on all measures over both the placebo and control groups (with exception of the higher score achieved by placebo subjects over that of the study skills group, on the treatment evaluation schedule) . This finding confirmed the superiority of multicomponent programmes over those with only a single component. The systematic desensitisation programmes proved to be the most effective, as measured on self-report and physiological measures. The superiority of group-constructed anxiety hierarchies over those individually-constructed was established. Study skills training helped Subjects to realise and maintain gains on the academic performance measure, although it took many of these subjects six months, before they had fully incorporated the study techniques taught, in with their own study habits. In discussion of the findings, the evident need to match test anxious students to programmes which "best suit" their characteristics, is presented, and solutions proposed. Weaknesses evident in the measuring instruments and research design, are also highlighted for discussion. As part of this experimental investigation, a discussion on the nature of test anxiety and its links with anxiety theory is introduced, together with a review of problems in measuring test anxiety; popular behavioural treatments used to relieve test anxiety; and a survey of test anxiety counselling on South African campuses. Advice for the therapist/counsellor, the academic, and the researcher, are posited in conclusion.

Bibliography : pages 269-283. / The efficacy was assessed of multicomponent treatment in reducing test anxiety, and improving self-concept and examination performance, in test-anxious elementary schoolchildren. A core programme was devised, comprising three components: systematic desensitization, cognitive restructuring and informal study skills training. Two further components, one each for teachers and parents were added, giving a 'contextualised' programme. Three complementary studies compared either the contextualised programme with a no-treatment, non-identified, control condition (Study 1: n = 40; Study 3: n = 24), or the core programme with an attention-placebo control condition (Study 2: n = 26). It was hypothesised that Studies 1 and 3 would show significant between-group differences at post-test, with experimental subjects showing a significant decline in test anxiety and gains in achievement and self-concept. In Study 2, no significant between-group differences were hypothesised: subjects receiving the core treatment or attention-placebo programme being expected to show a similar degree of reduction in test anxiety and gain in self-concept, but no improvement in achievement.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology, University of Zululand, South Africa, 2013. / The study investigated the effect of breathing techniques on test anxiety among students at the University of Zululand. Data was collected on a sample of one hundred (N=100) full time students aged between eighteen (18) and thirty two (32). The study consisted of the intervention group (N=60) and the control group (40). Results of the study indicated that participants in the intervention group obtained different results after the intervention of breathing techniques. There was a small discrepancy between the control and the intervention group in the post-test phase. This verified the hypothesis that breathing techniques had a positive effect on students with test anxiety. The results were however not statistically significant probably because of a shorter period of breathing intervention. On the whole, the intervention suggests that breathing does have a positive effect on test taking anxiety.

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