The Effect of Group Mindfulness Training on Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Students with Test Anxiety
Keywords:
Test anxiety, Emotion regulation, Group therapy, MindfulnessAbstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group mindfulness training on cognitive emotion regulation components in students with test anxiety. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group was used. Thirty-five students with test anxiety were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups; after attrition, data from 24 participants were analyzed. Instruments included a cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire and a test anxiety scale. The experimental group received nine 90-minute sessions of mindfulness training, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Results showed significant reductions in self-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing, as well as significant increases in acceptance and perspective-taking among the experimental group. No significant changes were found for blaming others, positive refocusing, planning, or positive reappraisal. The largest effect size was observed for self-blame. Group mindfulness training effectively improved several key components of cognitive emotion regulation in students with test anxiety, particularly those related to acceptance and reduced negative cognitive processing, though its effects were not uniform across all components.
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