THE EFFECT OF A STORY-BASED COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PROCEDUREON REDUCING CHILDRENS TEST ANXIETY BEFORE AND AFTER CANCELLATION OF AN IMPORTANT EXAMINATION

This study was originally planned to examine the effects of a story-ba sed cognitive behavior modification procedure specifically designed to help the fifth grade elementary school students to manage their anxie ty before they attend a nation-wide secondary school entrance examinat ion. The examination was cancelled after the children attended. This n aturally occurred treatment was included in the study and the effect o f the cancellation on the maintenance of the treatment outcome was als o investigated. Twenty subjects (10 girls, 10 boys) were selected out of a total of 144 fifth grade children who would attend the exam, on t he basis of the Turkish version of Test Anxiety Inventory and, assigne d to treatment and control groups. The results showed that the story b ased cognitive behavior modification procedure was more effective than no treatment in reducing the subjects' test anxiety and the effect wa s maintained after cancellation of the first and three days prior to t he second examination. The results also demonstrated that the effectiv eness of the procedure was superior in modifying the emotionality comp onent of test anxiety and this effectiveness continued after the cance llation of the examination.