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Exploring client contribution in a cognitive intervention for test anxiety
Author(s) -
Dundas Ingrid,
Anderssen Norman,
Wormnes Bjørn,
Hauge Helge
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1080/14733140802639293
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , psychology , anxiety , test (biology) , test anxiety , thematic analysis , cognition , interpersonal communication , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , applied psychology , qualitative research , psychiatry , paleontology , social science , sociology , biology
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.