The Effect of Mindfulness Programs on Collegiate Test Anxiety

Test anxiety affects about one-fifth of college students and is linked to worse exam performance and retention. In a randomized trial, 71 undergraduates were assigned to a six-week mindfulness condition, a three-week mindfulness condition, or a six-week sham mindfulness active control. All groups completed weekly meditations and written reflections. Increases in mindfulness correlated with decreased test anxiety (r = -.48). Self-reported mindfulness increased and test anxiety decreased across all conditions, but changes did not differ by group, offering no support for greater efficacy of the longer intervention. Even the sham control showed benefits, raising questions about what effects are specific to mindfulness. Online interventions appear effective for reducing test anxiety, but further research is needed on intervention length and content.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Affecting approximately one-fifth of college students, test anxiety is a source of academic failure that leads to worse exam performance and academic retention. The present study assessed the efficacy of online mindfulness-based interventions at reducing collegiate test anxiety. Undergraduate college students (N = 71) were randomly assigned to a six-week mindfulness condition (n = 24), a three-week mindfulness condition (n = 21), or a six-week sham mindfulness active control condition (n = 26). Participants in each condition were assigned five weekly meditations and written reflections. Responses to online surveys captured participants’ reported levels of test anxiety and mindfulness pre- and post-intervention. Increases in mindfulness were associated with decreased reports of test anxiety, r(69) = − .48. Across all conditions, self-reported mindfulness increased, and self-reported test anxiety decreased from pre- to post-test, F(1, 68) = 19.5 and 28.9, p’s < .001, η2 = .06 and .05 respectively. Changes in the primary variables did not differ by condition, offering no empirical support for greater efficacy of a six-week as compared to a three-week intervention. The sham mindfulness control group also reported increases in mindfulness and decreases in test anxiety, raising questions about what intervention benefits are specific to mindfulness trainings. These findings suggest that online interventions are effective at reducing test anxiety in college students, though more research will inform how intervention length and content lead to changes in test anxiety and mindfulness.