The Effect of Background Music on the Mathematics Test Anxiety of ...

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44 CHAPTER 4 Discussion <strong>The</strong> present study was designed to investigate the effect <strong>of</strong> background music, played prior to an exam, on mathematics test anxiety and academic achievement <strong>of</strong> college algebra students. <strong>The</strong> participants were 160 college students enrolled in College Algebra. A ten minute study period was given before the first course exam. <strong>The</strong> control group studied in silence while the experimental group was exposed to classical background music. Two research questions and 4 hypotheses were examined in the study. In this chapter the results <strong>of</strong> the research questions and hypotheses are discussed, then limitations and suggestions for future research are given. <strong>The</strong> first research question posed considered if the use <strong>of</strong> background music played while students study 10 minutes prior to an exam, as opposed to the students studying in silence 10 minutes prior to an exam, reduced the level <strong>of</strong> mathematics test anxiety. Two hypotheses were used to investigate this question. First, no difference was predicted in the pre-exam anxiety scores between students that studied to music and those that studied in silence. <strong>The</strong> present data confirms this prediction. Secondly, a difference was predicted in the pre-exam anxiety scores and the post-exam anxiety scores <strong>of</strong> the students that studied to music. <strong>The</strong> present study found a significant decrease between pre- and post-exam MARS scores for students that studied to music 10 minutes prior to an exam. Research varies on the effect <strong>of</strong> the use <strong>of</strong> background music to relieve anxiety. Hardie (1990) tested the level <strong>of</strong> anxiety <strong>of</strong> college students during two testing situations.
45 One group took a College Algebra exam in silence, and the second group took the exam while listening to classical background music. His research showed no difference between pre- and post-anxiety inventory scores for the group listening to music during an entire exam, while the level <strong>of</strong> anxiety increased for students taking the exam in silence. While the present study does not support Hardie’s research, the findings <strong>of</strong> Cohen (1994) and Blanchard (1979) are supported. Cohen used a relaxation treatment involving muscle relaxation, imaging, and background music to reduce the test anxiety <strong>of</strong> nursing students. Blanchard found that the use <strong>of</strong> background music during an exam reduced test anxiety. Research question two was used to consider the difference in the achievement scores <strong>of</strong> the students exposed to background music while studying 10 minutes prior to the exam as opposed to the students studying in a silent classroom for 10 minutes prior to the exam. Two hypotheses were used to investigate this question. <strong>The</strong> first hypothesis for this question predicted a difference in the achievement scores between the students that studied to music and those that studied in silence. Consistent with previous research (e.g., Hardie, 1990; Wolfe, 1983; Mowesian and Heyer, 1973; Wolf and Weiner, 1972), the present data suggested that exam scores were not significantly higher for those students studying in the music condition. In the previously mentioned studies the participants listened to music during the entire exam. <strong>The</strong> present research differs in that the students only listened to the music while entering the room. <strong>The</strong> second hypothesis for this research question predicted that there would not be a difference in exam scores for students with low test anxiety, while there would be a difference in exam scores for students with high test anxiety. <strong>The</strong> present data partially support this prediction. No significant difference in exam scores was found for either the
Page 1 and 2: The Effect
Page 3 and 4: iii Acknowledgements I would like t
Page 5 and 6: v Table of Content
Page 7 and 8: vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Factors
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER 1 Rationale, Literature Rev
Page 11 and 12: 3 Spielberger (1985) described trai
Page 13 and 14: 5 Factor analyses. Researchers have
Page 15 and 16: 7 Anxiety Subscale of</stro
Page 18 and 19: 10 Table 1 (continued) Ferguson (19
Page 20 and 21: 12 to 66 students attending the Tex
Page 22 and 23: 14 the Missouri Mathematics Placeme
Page 24 and 25: 16 differences between the mean exa
Page 26 and 27: 18 students to one of</stro
Page 28 and 29: 20 background music on reading comp
Page 30 and 31: 22 Anxiety level. Researchers have
Page 32 and 33: 24 The final study
Page 34 and 35: 26 Definitions math-test-anxious st
Page 36 and 37: 28 group, while sections 002 and 00
Page 38 and 39: 30 Research Question 1. Does the us
Page 40 and 41: 32 CHAPTER 3 Results This research
Page 42 and 43: 34 Table 2 Hypothesis 1B: 2 (Anxiet
Page 44 and 45: 36 Hypothesis 2A The</stron
Page 46 and 47: 38 Table 3 Hypothesis 2B: Pre-Exam
Page 48 and 49: 40 group between lower anxiety and
Page 50 and 51: 42 Figure 2 Hypothesis 2B: Interact
Page 54 and 55: 46 low anxiety students or the high
Page 56 and 57: 48 References Alexander, L., & Cobb
Page 58 and 59: 50 D'Ailly, H., & Bergering, A. (19
Page 60 and 61: 52 Mowsesian, R., & Heyer, M. (1973
Page 62 and 63: 54 Wolf, R., & Weiner, F. (1972). <
Page 64 and 65: 56 APPENDIX A Last 4 digits <strong

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