A Study to Examine the Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization Therapy in Reducing Test Fear in a Program Of,..ge Educational Development Test Prepaoation

ABSTRACT This study is an examination of an'attempt within the Adult Basic Education Department at College of the Mainland to reduce the anticipatory test fear in normal adult students preparing for the General Educational Development (GED) Test. The experiment covered a time span of 16 weeks and made-application of systematic desensitization, a therapeutic technique proper to the writings and practice of Dr. Joseph Wolpe. There is no vindication, from the pre-post testing of the cantrol group, that participation in a GED preparation class or the application of the systematic desensitization technique as applied in this experiment increases or decreases either basal trait anxiety or specific academic performance anxiety.. (Author/RC)