The effects of group interaction and progressive hierarchy presentation on desensitization of test anxiety

In order to study the factors of group interaction and progressive hierarchy presentation, as they relate to the desensitization treatment of test anxiety, interaction and non-interaction and progressive and non-progressive hierarchy conditions were differentially applied to various desensitization groups of volunteer college students who had high scores on the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS). In comparison to a nocontact control group (N=8), the experimental Ss as a whole (N = 13) reported more pre-to-post course anxiety reduction on the TAS and achieved a greater increase in grade point average. Students in groups given an opportunity to interact with each other reported greater anxiety reduction on the TAS than those who were not given an opportunity to interact. There were no significant differences between progressive and non-progressive hierarchy groups. Group interaction was discussed as a source of motivation, discrimination learning, and additional desensitization. The necessity of a progressive hierarchy was questioned and the importance of mediational behavior was stressed.