Investigation of the Effect of the Developed Cognitive-Behavioral Approach Based Self Help Platform on Test, State, and Trait Anxiety of High School Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a self-help platform based on cognitive behavioral therapy in mitigating test anxiety, state anxiety, and trait anxiety among high school students. The research employed a quasi-experimental design, incorporating pre-test and post-test measures, as well as experimental and control groups. The study sample consisted of 222 high school students from Türkiye, with 111 participants assigned to the experimental group and the remaining 111 to the control group. In the experimental group, the gender distribution was 28 male students and 83 female students. Similarly, in the control group, there were 31 male students and 80 female students. Data were collected using the Westside Test Anxiety Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Dependent samples t-tests were employed to examine the differences between the pre-test and post-test scores within the experimental and control groups. Independent samples t-tests were utilized to compare the post-test scores between the experimental and control groups. To assess the effects of the intervention after one month, dependent samples t-tests were conducted. The results indicated that the CBT-based self-help platform was significantly effective in reducing test anxiety, state anxiety, and trait anxiety among the students in the experimental group. Furthermore, this beneficial effect persisted during the follow-up assessment conducted one month after the intervention. There was no decrease in the test anxiety, state anxiety and trait anxiety scores of the students in the control group.

Keywords

• Self Help Platform
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• State Anxiety
• Trait Anxiety
• Test Anxiety

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