The effects of general anxiety on group desensitization of test anxiety

Abstract

The present study investigated the influence of general anxiety in facilitating or impeding the reduction of test anxiety by short term group desensitization. Fifty-nine male academic failure students served as Ss selected on the basis of extreme scores on the debilitating scale of Alpert and Haber's Achievement Anxiety Test (AAT). Thirty-one Ss were randomly assigned to treatment and the remainder to either a motivated no-treatment control group ( N=6) or a no-contact control group ( N=22). The 31 treatment Ss were then divided into high and low general anxiety groups on the basis of their IPAT Anxiety Scale scores. Test and general anxiety measures were administered post-treatment, and in a 14 week follow-up session. In comparison to the two no-treatment control groups ( N=28), the treatment Ss reported a significant reduction in test anxiety on the AAT over the 19 weeks from pre-treatment to 14 week follow-up period. No significant differences in test anxiety reduction were found between the high and low general anxiety treatment Ss over the same period ; however, a strong trend favouring the high general anxiety group was noted at the post-treatment stage. No significant changes in the level of general anxiety were observed in any group over the period of the study. It was suggested that future studies investigate individual differences relating to the interaction of neuroticism and general anxiety and their effect upon responses to desensitization.