Test and Performance Anxiety

Hypnosis is one of the most effective modalities for reducing Test Anxiety.  Many students have difficulty achieving the grades they deserve because test anxiety holds them back.  The knowledge is there but it will not come forth during test time because of the anxiety.
A little nervousness prior to a test is normal and can help to sharpen the mind and create focus.  But with Test Anxiety, feelings of self doubt tend interfere with your performance which affects your score.  Test Anxiety can affect anyone, no matter what age or level of schooling.  In fact, many employees are potential employees have to pass tests to keep or acquire employment.

THE FIVE CAUSES OF TEST ANXIETY:

• Test anxiety is a learned behavior.
• The association of grades and personal worth causes test anxiety.
• Test anxiety can come from a feeling of a lack of control.
• Test anxiety can be caused by a teacher embarrassing a student.
• Being placed into course above your ability can cause test anxiety.
• Test anxiety develops from fear of alienation from parents, family, and friends due to poor
• Test anxiety can be caused by timed tests and the fear of not finishing the test, even if one can do all the problems

Eleven medical practitioners who had previously failed their fellowship examinations sought assistance in combating the anxiety that they felt had been responsible for their lack of success. They were seen individually for two, 50-minute sessions of hypnotherapeutic training designed to engender an increased confidence in their ability to overcome examination anxiety. Two outcome measures were used: the actual examination result and a face-valid attitude scale, the Examination Anxiety Thermometer.

On the first of these, 10 of the 11 practitioners recorded passes, whereas on the second, 9 indicated an attitude change toward lower levels of test anxiety. Attention is drawn to the minimal expenditure of time involved in the treatment and the generalizabilityof the hypnotherapeutic technique to other areas of the practitioners' lives.

 

Reference

Dr. Harry E. Stanton (1993) Using Hypnotherapy to Overcome Examination Anxiety, American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 35:3, 198-204