Examination of the relationship between state anxiety, relaxation response, and digit span performance.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of relaxation response through guided imagery on working memory for highly anxious and low anxious participants. Participants were 80 students enrolled in psychology and human sexuality courses at Kansas Wesleyan University, Bethany College, and Wichita State University. A non-published guided imagery technique entitled "Falling Leaf' was utilized as a relaxation technique. The comparison condition utilized an excerpt entitled "Improving Your Study Habits." The digits backward portion of the digit span subtest of the WAIS-I1I was utilized as a measure of working memory. The Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory was utilized as a measure of state and trait anxiety. Participants were assigned to treatment or comparison condition based upon their level of Trait Anxiety assuming those with high trait anxiety would also tend to have high State Anxiety. Results indicated no significant difference in digit span scores for highly anxious participants based upon relaxation or comparison conditions. State anxiety was significantly reduced in all participants, in both relaxation and comparison conditions. Significant gender differences were found in digits backward performance, finding men performed better than women. This result was statistically significant but not necessarily clinically significant as both males and females scored close to the average of 25 to 34 year olds of 5 digits backward recalled. Results of this study suggest that high trait anxiety does not always indicate the presence of high state anxiety. Of interest in future studies would be to explore the ability of highly anxious participants to compensate for their ailment through extra effort.