Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) facilitating rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in the treatment of test anxiety

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recent research in psychotherapy reflects the development of a pragmatic eclecticism. This new eclecticism also fits into the growing perception that relevantaspects of different schools of thought can be brought together to develop more balanced, holistic scientific models of psychoth~rapy.The purpose of this study was to determine whether an eclectic psychotherapeutic approach, combining Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REST) and EyeMovement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), would lead to a more effective therapy for the treatment of test anxiety than Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) alone.A group of six undergraduate university students receiving only REST, was compared to a similar group of students that received a combination of REST andEMDR, as well as to a control group of six students. Five group sessions of REST aswell as one individual session of REST or EMDR were presented over a period ofthree weeks. The level of test anxiety, the dependant variable of this study, wasmeasured before and after the respective psychotherapeutic interventions, as wellas at follow-up. As an outcome measure of the in vivo levels of test anxiety of theparticipants in the two treatment groups, a theoretical test of the REST rationale wasalso administered.The REST treatment and the combination of REST and EMDR treatment bothsucceeded in significantly reducing test anxiety. The results of the combinedtreatment however, were not significantly better than that of the REST group. Therewas a statistical tendency to a greater reduction in test anxiety with the REST treatment alone, than with the REST and EMDR combined.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University