Effects of cue-controlled relaxation, a placebo treatment, and no treatment on changes in self-reported test anxiety among college students

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Abstract
Twenty‐eight test‐anxious Ss received either “cue‐controlled relaxation therapy,” an inert placebo treatment, or no treatment. Once before and twice after the experimental treatment period each S responded to three test anxiety scales and to one measure of public‐speaking anxiety. Once after the treatment, Ss rated the credibility of the procedure to which they had been exposed. Pre‐ and posttreatment ratings of crebility both showed that the cued relaxation and placebo procedures exerted equivalent experimental demand for improvment. Scores on all three test‐anxiety measures showed that, under these conditions of equivalent demand, the placebo procedure reduced self‐reports of test anxiety at least as much as did cue‐controlled relaxiation. Implications are discussed.