Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Herzlyia Inter-Disciplinary Center, 8 University Street, 4610101, Herzliya, Israel.
Cohen-Harris Resillience Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2021 Mar;46(1):69-82. doi: 10.1007/s10484-020-09494-9. Epub 2021 Jan 2.
Test Anxiety is a widespread psychological phenomenon. With prevalence rates of 20-40 percent of university students, it impedes adaptive functioning and life quality. Many available treatments for Test Anxiety involve the intervention of clinicians and usually a few months are required before symptom reduction is reported. The present randomized controlled trial examined a simple behavioral intervention-the use of breathing tools-as an exclusive therapy for Test Anxiety. Specifically, the efficacy of a biofeedback respiratory practice device was examined. 34 students were assigned to 3 treatment groups during their exam period: Biofeedback device group, self-directed breathing exercise group, and psychoeducation group. Self-report measures of Test Anxiety were collected pre- and post-intervention. Participants also reported additional exploratory measures such as depression and anxiety, quality of life, and their perceived adaptive functioning post-intervention. The results reveal that only participants from the biofeedback device group reported a significant reduction in Test Anxiety symptoms (p's < 0.05). Participants from the biofeedback device group also reported a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms and an increase in psychological wellbeing (p's < 0.05), a subscale of the quality of life questionnaire. Findings support the notion that using biofeedback respiratory devices may reduce students' Test Anxiety symptoms. Indications for further research are discussed.
考试焦虑是一种普遍的心理现象。在大学生中，其患病率为 20%至 40%，它会妨碍适应性功能和生活质量。许多针对考试焦虑的现有治疗方法都涉及临床医生的干预，通常需要几个月的时间才能报告症状减轻。本随机对照试验研究了一种简单的行为干预措施——使用呼吸工具——作为治疗考试焦虑的一种独特方法。具体来说，本研究检验了生物反馈呼吸练习设备的疗效。在考试期间，34 名学生被分配到 3 个治疗组：生物反馈设备组、自我指导呼吸练习组和心理教育组。在干预前后收集了考试焦虑的自我报告测量结果。参与者还报告了其他探索性措施，如抑郁和焦虑、生活质量以及干预后的适应性功能感知。结果表明，只有生物反馈设备组的参与者报告考试焦虑症状显著减轻（p 值均小于 0.05）。生物反馈设备组的参与者还报告抑郁和焦虑症状减轻，心理幸福感（生活质量问卷的一个子量表）增加（p 值均小于 0.05）。研究结果支持使用生物反馈呼吸设备可能会减轻学生考试焦虑症状的观点。讨论了进一步研究的方向。
