Stress in Post-Secondary: Toward an Understanding of Test-Anxiety, Cognitive Performance, and Brief Mindfulness Meditation
Raychel Colangelo, Karyn Audet
Behavioural Sciences Undergraduate Journal December 31, 2020 DOI: 10.29173/bsuj500 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Undergraduate college students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness meditation produced greater state test-anxiety reduction than a control activity but did not improve cognitive performance. |
Abstract
Premised on cultivating present-moment awareness, mindfulness meditation (MM) programs have been shown to significantly reduce state-anxiety and improve cognitive performance in post-secondary students. With increasing popularity, briefer MM formats have been introduced to post-secondary institutions to combat the rising prevalence of student test-anxiety. However, research examining the efficacy of brief MM on a state-level test-anxiety response and its ability to improve cognitive performance in a testing situation is sparse. The present study examined the immediate effects of brief MM on state test-anxiety and cognitive performance. A sample of 50 undergraduate college students (N = 50) were randomly assigned to a brief MM or a control activity. In the current study, it was hypothesized that there would be lower state test-anxiety levels and higher cognitive performance in the brief MM group than the control group. Results revealed that the brief MM group had greater state test-anxiety reduction than the control group at post-treatment. Consistent with previous work, brief MM, however, did not promote any specific short-term benefits for cognitive performance. Our findings, however, converge with past research to suggest that brief MM may produce immediate, short-term state test-anxiety relief. Immediate anxiety relief may be beneficial for students during stressful academic periods.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- No time for that? An investigation of mindfulness and stress in first-year engineering design Design Science 2022
- Mindfulness for test anxiety and negative self-evaluation in high school Current Psychology October 1, 2024
- Brief Meditation on Test Anxiety of Eighth Grade Chinese Students: Chain-Mediating Roles of Mindfulness and Self-Efficacy School Mental Health May 20, 2024
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