Comparing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Therapy (CT) for Test Anxiety

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Anxiety

• Registration Number: NCT00850226
• Lead Sponsor: Drexel University

Brief Summary

This study proposes to compare the effectiveness of an acceptance-based intervention and a cognitive control-based intervention for coping with test anxiety in nursing students during the HESI (Health Education Systems, Inc.) examination.

Subjects will be randomized to receive either the CT or the ACT condition. In both conditions, subjects will receive an education on test anxiety to inform them about what test anxiety is and why it occurs. Then, the different conditions will receive the respective treatment of either CT or ACT. The study is considered minimum risk because the nursing students will only be exposed to an amount of anxiety that is typical of their testing experience. Both conditions will meet three times, with each session lasting approximately one and a half hours. The purpose of the treatment is to provide subjects with tools to help them cope with their test anxiety.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-02
• Study First Submitted: 2009-02-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-02-23
• Study First Posted: 2009-02-24
• Primary Completion: 2010-02
• Study Completion: 2010-02
• Status Verified: 2010-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2010-05-28
• Last Update Posted: 2010-06-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• Nursing student subjects may only participate if they are currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at Drexel University.
• They must be nursing majors enrolled in Nursing 492 and intending to take the cumulative HESI examination.
• Psychology students must be enrolled in the courses where recruitment will occur.
• Pre-professional students must be currently enrolled at Drexel University, and planning to take a Standardized test within 6 months.
• All subjects must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Exclusion Criteria

• Persons may not participate if they are unable to see/read words off of a computer screen.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
grades on final exams	2-3 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Drexel University; 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States