Reappraising Stress Arousal Improves Performance and Reduces Evaluation Anxiety in Classroom Exam Situations
Jamieson, J, Peters, B, Greenwood, E, & Altose, A (2016). Social Psychological and Personality Science.
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examining81Students, gradePS
IES Performance Measure
Review Details
Reviewed: September 2019
- IES Performance Measure (findings for Stress Reappraisal)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Community college developmental mathematics course retention |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Intervention |
0 Semesters |
Exam 2 sample (students still enrolled at exam 2);
|
0.95 |
0.85 |
No |
-- | |
|
Community college developmental mathematics course grade |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Intervention |
0 Semesters |
End-of-course sample (students still enrolled at course end);
|
83.31 |
74.89 |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: evaluation anxiety subscale |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Other intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.24 |
2.64 |
No |
-- | |
|
Stress appraisal: coping resources subscale (Jamieson et al., 2016) |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Other intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
5.16 |
4.60 |
No |
-- | |
|
Stress appraisal: task demands subscale (Jamieson et al., 2016) |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Other intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
2.30 |
2.78 |
No |
-- | |
|
Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: learning anxiety subscale |
Stress Reappraisal vs. Other intervention |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
1.83 |
1.74 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 69%
Male: 31% -
Urban
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Midwest
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Race Black 69% White 31%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted with students in five developmental mathematics classes taught by the same instructor using the same course material at an urban community college in the Midwest (p. 3).
Study sample
The study sample included students enrolled in a developmental math course at one community college. Referring to the 93 students enrolled in the course across the five semesters, 69 percent were female, 31 percent were male, 69 percent were White/Caucasian, and 31 percent were Black/African American (p. 3). Study participants ranged in age from 18 to 58 years old, with an average age of 29.4 (p. 3). No other demographic information was provided.
Intervention Group
Students in the stress reappraisal condition received intervention materials to review immediately prior to taking their second in-class exam in a community college developmental math course. The materials instructed students to read summaries of scientific articles about the adaptive functions of stress. The materials explained that feeling stress during an exam is not harmful and, in fact, aids performance. The materials also explained how stress responses are a coping resource. Students completed two multiple choice questions after each summary to check that they had read the materials. Students took about five to eight minutes to complete the intervention. (p. 3)
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group received control materials, described as “placebo” materials by the study authors, to review immediately prior to taking their second in-class exam in a community college developmental math course. The materials instructed students to read summaries about emotion-suppression techniques to handle stress (based on Peters, Overall, & Jamieson, 2014). The reading materials suggested that ignoring negative thoughts associated with stress during an exam aids performance. Students completed two multiple choice questions after each summary to check that they had read the materials. Students took about five to eight minutes to complete the placebo intervention. (p. 3)
Support for implementation
The instructor was blind to the results of random assignment and was thus tasked only to distribute the instruction materials assigned to each student (p. 3).
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
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Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
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as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).