Test Anxiety and Hypnosis: A Different Approach To An Import ant Prob lem

Some of the approaches employed to reduce students ’ test anxiety are briefly reviewed and attention is focussed upon the use of hypnosis. A one-to-one thera-peutic approach using hypnosis as a technique is outlined and the feasibility of its extension to group treatment is explored in an experimental context. One hundred Grade 7 primary school students were administered the Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC). Pairs were matched on the basis of these scores and assigned either to an experimental group experiencing three treatment sessions or a control group. The TASC was readministered after treatment had concluded, and again after a six month period had elapsed. Results indicated that the group hypno-therapeutic sessions had been successful in reducing students ’ test anxiety. In their examination of the relationship between anxiety and educational achievement, Gaudry and Spielberger (1971) have stated that The most consistent general finding... is that high anxiety is associated with relatively low performance at both the school and university level. This conclusion is based on the negative correlations that were obtained in