Document Type : Research Article
Authors
Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract
Background: Exam anxiety in female students, a significant emotional response and emotional issue that negatively impacts learning, is perceived as a threat by many students. The present study investigated the efficacy of emotional schema therapy (EST) on self-regulation and frustration tolerance in female students with exam anxiety during the academic year 2022-2023.
Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest was employed. A total of 36 female students with exam anxiety were recruited from Ahvaz, Iran. Convenience sampling technique was employed to select the study participants who were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=18) or the control group (n=18) using a random number table. The experimental group received ten, 60-minute sessions of EST. Self-regulation and frustration tolerance were assessed using questionnaires before and after the intervention. Group differences were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).
Results: At pretest, both groups showed similar levels of self-regulation (P=0.694). Following the intervention, the experimental group showed significantly higher self-regulation (Mean=49.72, SD=5.74) as compared with the control group (Mean=36.39, SD=4.17) (P=0.001). No significant difference in frustration tolerance was observed between groups at pretest (P=0.927). However, the experimental group (Mean=71.28, SD=5.88) demonstrated significantly greater frustration tolerance as compared with the control group (Mean=117.67, SD=18.10) after the intervention (P=0.001). The findings indicated that EST effectively improved self-regulation and frustration tolerance in female students with exam anxiety (P<0.001).
Conclusions: The results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in self-regulation and frustration tolerance after administering EST sessions. These findings suggested that EST may be a promising intervention for addressing the psychological challenges associated with exam anxiety in female students.
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