Predictores de la ansiedad ante la estadística: Ansiedad ante los exámenes y baja depuración cognitiva / Statistics anxiety is predicted by test anxiety and lack of cognitive depuration

Las competencias en estadística responden al desarrollo de habilidades esenciales para la comprensión de la realidad y la toma de decisiones personales y profesionales. Un gran número de profesiones emplea la estadística como elemento esencial en investigación y análisis de información, pero también es común la respuesta de ansiedad ante estos contenidos. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las estrategias metacognitivas implicadas en procesos de ansiedad ante la estadística, así como el papel de la ansiedad ante los exámenes en este fenómeno. Se analizó una muestra de universitarios habituados al tratamiento de información cuantitativa, en ellos se observaron bajos niveles de estrategias metacognitivas para el aprendizaje y niveles moderados de ansiedad. En un modelo de regresión se identificó que la ansiedad estadística se predice débilmente por la falta de depuración y fuertemente por la ansiedad ante los exámenes

Statistics competencies respond to the development of essential skills for understanding reality and making personal and professional decisions. A lot of professions use statistics as an essential element in research and information analysis, but anxiety about statistical content is also common. The objective of this study was to analyze the metacognitive strategies involved in processes of statistics anxiety, as well as the role of test anxiety in this phenomenon. We analyzed a sample of university students accustomed to the treatment of quantitative information, in which low levels of metacognitive strategies for learning and moderate levels of anxiety were observed. In a regression model, it was identified that statistics anxiety is weakly predicted due to the lack of depuration and strongly by test anxiety

Need for mentorship to improve learning in low-performers.

Background. About 15% of medical students perform poorly in examinations. This study was done to ascertain the causes for low performance and the effectiveness of counselling and advice regarding study skills in improving performance in a subsequent assessment. Methods. Of the 353 students who appeared for the first internal assessment examination in pathology, 83 (23.5%) scored less than 30% marks. These 83 low-performers were given a questionnaire listing stress-inducing factors and academic problems; 81 filled the questionnaire. Of these, 73 attended sessions on study skills and counselling where they interacted on a one-to-one basis regarding their personal problems. Their performance was evaluated in an internal assessment 6 months later. Results. The low-performers included 52 boys and 29 girls, 19–20 years of age. Non-academic problems contributing to low performance included language problems, problems in adjustment to life outside home, lack of self-confidence, fear of failure and worrying about the future. Academic problems included difficulty in managing study time, lack of concentration while studying, inability to retain what is studied, anxiety before examinations and inability to write an examination. Paired t-test revealed a statistically significant improvement in the post-programme performance of the 73 students who participated in the counselling sessions (p<0.001), while that of the 10 who did not participate in the project, showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.54, Wilcoxon signed rank test). A majority of students felt that the sessions helped to improve their performance (average score 3.83/6.00), change their study behaviour (3.74/6.00) and change their attitude (3.46/6.00). The programme also improved their confidence and self-esteem. Conclusion. Low-performers can benefit from tailored remedial programmes which include counselling and training in stress-coping strategies.

Psychological well-being in medical students during exam stress-influence of short-term practice of mind sound technology.

Introduction: Medical education is perceived as stressful. As excessive stress hampers students' performance, stress management is required for medical students. This study was aimed to assess the effect of Mind Sound Technology (MST), an intelligence enhancing program, on psychological well-being of medical undergraduates during exam stress. Materials and Methods: Forty-two medical students were recruited and Dukes Health Profile scoring was done at baseline and during Exam Stress (ES). After pre-intervention measurements, the students were randomized into two groups: non-practitioners and MST practitioners. Post-intervention measurement was done at the end of 6 weeks when the students had examination. Results: Students showed a significant increase (P < 0.001) in negative health scores like perceived health scores, anxiety, and depression and a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in positive health scores like Self-Esteem, Mental Health Score, Social Health Score, and General Health Score during exam when compared with baseline. MST practice increased positive health scores (P < 0.001) and decreased perceived health score (P < 0.01), anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression scores significantly (P < 0.001) when compared with ES score. Non practitioners did not show any significant change in any of the scores when compared with ES score. Six weeks of MST practice by medical students have improved the academic scores (P < 0.05) when compared with their non-practitioner counterpart. Conclusion: Thus, practice of MST has helped in coping up the stress that occurs during examination and improved academic performance in medical undergraduates.