Randomized crossover trial studying the effect of music on examination anxiety

Abstract

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of lento music on examination anxiety among nursing students.

Methods:

A randomized crossover classroom-based trial was conducted. Thirty eight students with a mean age of 19.4 years (SD=0.54) were randomly assigned to either a music/silence or a silence/music group sequence. The physiological measures of anxiety assessed in this study were finger temperature and pulse rate. Two additional psychological measures were also collected, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI). The students in the music group were given a 40-minute group-based music intervention in a classroom, whereas the students in the silence group received the regular test without music. The students had their physiological measures taken and the TAI and STAI were completed both immediately before the intervention/silence period and at the end.

Results:

Using paired t-tests, there were no significant different in pretest scores for STAI, TAI, finger temperature and pulse rate between the two conditions. Nonetheless, the findings indicated that music intervention did effectively decrease examination anxiety and state of anxiety as well as reducing pulse rate and increasing higher finger temperature (p=0.05 to 0.001). In addition, significant differences were detected between the pretest and posttest measures for silence (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

Lento music intervention is beneficial and is able to decrease anxiety among nursing students who are taking an examination. The results suggest that lento music is effective at anxiety reduction.