ERIC Number: ED528706
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jan
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Automated Anxiety Control Promotes Student Retention: A Replication
Driscoll, Richard; Holt, Bruce
Online Submission
This study was undertaken to replicate prior findings in which a test-anxiety control training produced substantial test gains among students on academic probation. Twelve first semester students with marginal achievement were identified, screened for test anxiety, and found to have substantially higher anxiety than other students. Ten of the twelve students were highly anxious and comprise the study sample. Six were assigned to a treatment group and the remaining four served as controls. The treated students were instructed to review a pre-recorded test anxiety control training at least once, and all reported that they had done so. Four weeks later, at the end of the semester, the treated students scored six tenths of a letter grade above the control students. While the sample is small, the advantage of the treated group over the controls is similar to earlier findings and suggest consistent benefits for the automated anxiety control training. It is suggested that the training can boost highly anxious students into the passing range, and thereby improve student retention.
Descriptors: Academic Probation, School Holding Power, Test Anxiety, Academic Persistence, Replication (Evaluation), Test Preparation, Test Wiseness, Training, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Achievement Gains, College Students, Academic Support Services, Educational Technology, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Peripherals, Intervention
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A