The Change of P3 in Undergraduates with Trait Anxiety During Exam Stress / 中国临床心理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the characters of ERP in undergraduates with different trait anxiety during exam stress. Methods: By the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, one group of 15 undergraduates with high trait anxiety and another group with low trait anxiety were chosen from 200 participants in Band 4 College English Test. Their change of P3 were observed through NeuroScan 32 Channel ERP System during pre- exam and post- exam. Results: The amplitude of P3 of the group with low trait anxiety was enhanced while another group with high trait anxiety had no significant difference after exam; The latency of P3 of the group with low trait anxiety were decreased while another group with high trait anxiety had no significant difference after exam; There weren’t significant differences in amplitude and latency of P3 between high trait anxiety group and low trait anxiety group before exam; There were significant enhance of amplitude of P3 and decrease of latency of P3 in low trait anxiety group after exam as compared with high trait anxiety group. Conclusion: The result suggests different trait anxiety groups have different cognitive functions. When confronting with the same stress.