Comparison of Cue-Controlled Relaxation and Cognitive Restructuring versus Study Skills Counseling in Treatment of Test-Anxious College Underachievers

Abstract

This investigation compared the relative efficacy of two multi-component strategies in the treatment of test anxiety for college underachievers. 30 test-anxious students with deficient study habits were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: (a) a combined cue-controlled relaxation and cognitive restructuring program, (b) a study-skills program incorporating a decision-making model, or (c) a waiting-list control. Analyses of pre-, post-, and follow-up data for several dependent measures indicated the superiority of the two active treatments relative to the no-treatment control. Between-group comparisons showed that both the cue-controlled relaxation and cognitive-restructuring group and the study-skills group demonstrated significant improvement over the waiting-list control on self-report debilitative test anxiety and irrational thinking. The study-skills program led to the most dramatic improvements in grade point averages. No significant differences between the two treatment techniques were observed on any of the dependent variables. A description of the two intervention strategies is provided, along with a discussion of the utility of these programs for the treatment of test anxiety with failing underachievers.