Does self-hypnosis add to the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention against test anxiety?

Abstract

This study examined whether self-hypnosis could enhance a cognitive-behavioral (CB) intervention against test anxiety. Students seeking help for test anxiety at the student welfare service (mean age = 24.7 years) received one group session of a CB intervention and were then randomized to either two sessions of the same CB intervention (CB only, N = 39) or two sessions of self-hypnosis training designed to enhance the CB intervention (CB with self-hypnosis, N = 34). Anxiety and self-confidence measures were administered at recruitment and 3 days prior to the student's exam, subsequent to the intervention. A comparison group of students who had not sought help completed the same questionnaires at the same time points relative to their exams (non-help-seeking group, N = 85). Self-hypnosis training did not add to the effectiveness of the CB intervention. On the contrary, the CB intervention was more effective without self-hypnosis on three measures: test anxiety, state anxiety and self-esteem. We suggest that self-hypnosis for test anxiety might be better reserved for students not responding to a CB-only intervention, or who clearly prefer a self-hypnosis intervention.

Keywords:

• hypnosis
• test anxiety
• students
• cognitive-behavioral therapy