Exploring client contribution in a cognitive intervention for test anxiety

Abstract

Aim: To study client contributions in cognitive therapy. Specifically, to study ways of making an intervention against test anxiety work, based on interviews with 32 test-anxious university students. Method: Interviews after their first examination following the intervention were analysed using a thematic analysis. Results: Although most participants reacted positively to the intervention, concerns emerged that adopting positive self-statements might be deceptive. Concerns about the untruthfulness of positive self-statements led clients to generate several possible resolutions, namely, to examine flaws in negative self-statements, to realise that there is more than one realistic way to construe things, to consider the evidence in the form of reduced anxiety, to consider manageable steps, and to seek interpersonal validation of positive self-statements. Conclusions: The results offer concrete resolutions developed by clients that might be useful for other clients who have reservations about positive self-statements.

Keywords:

• Test anxiety
• cognitive therapy
• interviews
• self-statements
• qualitative

Notes

An early draft of this paper was presented as a working paper at the Third International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Illinois, USA, 2–5 May 2007.