Effect of Client Sense of Humor and Paradoxical Interventions on Test Anxiety

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of paradoxical and non‐paradoxical interventions with clients [henceforth known as participants] possessing a high or low sense of humor. Fifty‐three test‐anxious participants were divided into a low sense of humor group and a high sense of humor group and were assigned to a paradoxical intervention condition, a nonparadoxical intervention condition, or a no‐treatment control group. Participants in all groups improved over time but, contrary to the hypothesis, low sense of humor participants improved significantly more with a paradoxical intervention than high sense of humor participants with a paradoxical intervention. There were no differences in improvement due to treatment condition for the high sense of humor group. Low sense of humor participants perceived the counselor as more able to help than did high sense of humor participants. The paradoxical intervention was seen as more surprising than the nonparadoxical intervention. Implications for the use of paradoxical interventions are discussed.