Effect of Client Sense of Humor and Paradoxical Interventions on Test Anxiety.

Effect of Client Sense of Humor and Paradoxical Interventions on Test Anxiety.

Newton Geraldine R; Dowd E Thomas

Journal of Counseling & Development

1990

1990-08-07

This study investigated the effectiveness of paradoxical and nonparadoxial interventions with clients [henceforth known as participants] possessing a highor low sense of humor group and a high sense of humor group and were assigned to a paradoxical intervention condition, a nonparadoxial intervention condition, or ano-treatment control group. Participants in all groups improved over time but, contrary to the hypothesis, low sense of humor participants improved significantly more with paradoxical intervention than high sense of humor participants with a paradoxial intervention. There were no differences in improvement due to treatment condition for the high sense of humor group. Low sense of humor participants perceived the counselor as more able to help than did high sense of humor participants. The paradoxical intervention was seen as more surprising than the nonparadoxial interoention. Implications for the use of paradoxical interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WIT & humor; CONDITIONED response; EDUCATIONAL psychology; OPERANT behavior; SOCIAL psychology; TEST anxiety

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