Exploring client contribution in a cognitive intervention for test anxiety

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 th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Counselling and psychotherapy research 2009-06, Vol.9 (2), p.86-92
Main Authors: Dundas, Ingrid, Anderssen, Norman, Wormnes, Bjørn, Hauge, Helge
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
cognitive therapy
interviews
qualitative
self-statements
Test anxiety
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1473-3145
1746-1405
DOI:10.1080/14733140802639293