Effects Of A Brief Yoga Intervention On Test Anxiety In Fifth Grade Students

Author : Joshua A. Heath
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (134 download)

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Download or read book The Efficacy of Brief Digital Mindfulness Interventions on Student Anxiety written by Joshua A. Heath and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General anxiety disorder has been defined by the DSM-5 as excessive worry characterized by traits such as intrusive thoughts and obtrusive physiological reactions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In modern culture, anxiety in academic settings has been reported as a significant problem afflicting an estimated 41% children and undergraduates (Gregor, 2005; von der Embse et al., 2018). Research examining test anxiety prevalence in age ranges from elementary schools to universities has demonstrated that the rates of individuals reporting "high" test anxiety levels vary between 15% and 22% (Ergene, 2003; Putwain & Daly, 2014). Given the high incidence rates observed in schools as well as decades of research demonstrating the negative impact of test anxiety on student performance, a vibrant domain of research has been devoted to understanding and developing interventions designed to reduce adverse outcomes from test anxiety (Ergene, 2003; von der Embse et al., 2018). Mindfulness, originating from Buddhist philosophy is broadly defined as a present-centered approach to everyday life via purposeful attention to the present moment (Bishop et al., 2004; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Grossman et al., 2004; Kabat-Zinn, 1994; Wolters & Yu, 1996). The present-centered approach has a emphasis of self-compassion, non-reactive awareness, and acceptance (Shapiro et al., 1998). Any individual can attain a mindful state by using several activities, including meditation, yoga, mindful art, and rhythmic breathing (Bazzano et al., 2018; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Carsley & Heath, 2019). Inducing a mindful state is not always a conscious decision, as research has shown it can subconsciously occur (Grossman et al., 2004). anxiety are conducted in K-12 environments. The current investigation found limited research concerning undergraduates test anxiety perception. Between four intervention studies, duration ranged between one week through two months, using either mindful breathing or a variation of MBSR. Each of the studies included reported significantly decreased in test anxiety for intervention groups, as well as increases in trait mindfulness. Additionally, these interventions also revealed effectiveness in improving academic performance and reducing automatic thoughts. Finally, support was provided for digital interventions with one study reporting no significant differences between in-person or digital delivery methods (Cho et al., 2016; Hjeltnes et al., 2015; Lothes et al., 2019; Sampl et al., 2017). The present study adds to the existing literature by investigating the effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention for university students that is both brief and delivered in a digital format. Participants were recruited from a midwestern university to participate in a two-session research study. Each completed personality, mindfulness, and anxiety measures in the initial session with the expectation of a quantitative reasoning test in the next session. The second session divided participants into two groups to receive a brief digital guided meditation video or the same video with no meditation track. Following the intervention, participants received post measures of anxiety and mindfulness. mixed MANOVA and multiple regression analyses to answer specific research questions into the effectiveness of brief digital mindfulness interventions and personality traits relationship with anxiety and mindfulness As predicted, the findings demonstrate the efficacy of a brief digital mindfulness intervention in reducing state mindfulness and state anxiety in university students. However, the results did not reveal a differential benefit for the guided meditation condition as compared to the relaxing condition. The mindfulness intervention conditions were found to have no measured impact on trait mindfulness, trait anxiety, or cognitive test anxiety levels. The regression models used to determine predictor variables for trait mindfulness and trait anxiety conformed to primary representations of the constructs. Specifically, the neuroticism personality trait was instrumental in predicting levels of both trait mindfulness and trait anxiety. Ancillary hierarchical regression analyses added the trait constructs in a secondary block, identifying openness and conscientious as significant predictors of trait mindfulness and trait anxiety. These findings remain consistent with traditional mindfulness intervention literature, despite the current examinations focus on brief digital mindfulness interventions (Cho et al., 2016; Hjeltnes et al., 2015; Sampl, 2017; Loathes et al., 2019).