Effectiveness of Music Practical Examinations

Stress Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effectiveness of Music on the Performance of Graduate Occupational Therapy Students During

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06187272
• Other study ID #: RussellSage
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: December 7, 2021
• Est. completion date: November 28, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: December 2023
• Source: Russell Sage College
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

College student anxiety is rising alarmingly and directly affects academics, occupations, and well-being. Occupational therapy (OT) students encounter a rigorous workload and pressure to become entry-level practitioners. Higher education faculty strive for evidence-based teaching strategies and effective classroom management and are often challenged to promote a positive classroom culture. This quasi-experimental study explored the effect of listening to music during a lab practical examination on the performance of OT graduate students.

Description:

Through convenience sampling, 68 graduate students in an occupational therapy program were recruited to participate. The quasi-experimental study was conducted at Russell Sage College, in Troy, New York, with approval from the International Review Board Inclusion criteria were male and female first and second-year students, ages 19-34, enrolled in Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology or Physical Agent Modalities. The data was collected during lab practicals in December 2021 and June 2023. Forty-three students signed consent forms to participate. Students sign up for 20-minute time slots in pairs for the practical exam. Each student randomly selects confidential assessment cards and takes turns independently completing their assignment. Each practical contains a grading rubric, and a score of 80 is required to pass. Students either had one private room when an examiner during the practical, and either it was quiet or low 60 bpm music played in the background. Pre and post-outcome measures evaluated each student's state, trait, test anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate outside the assessment room. State and trait anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults™ by Charles D. Spielberger and the Test Anxiety Inventory by Charles D. Spielberger & Associates. State-Trait Anxiety is cited in over 20,000 articles and is the primary assessment used most often for individuals susceptible to anxiety. The reliability of the State-Trait Anxiety is .86 - .95, and substantial evidence confirms its validity. Mean S-anxiety .59, T- T-anxiety .57 college students of both sexes. The Test Anxiety Inventory measures individual situational anxiety of symptom frequency throughout an exam, like apprehension and nervousness. Remote online survey licenses were purchased to administer the State-Trait Anxiety Adult and Test Anxiety Inventory on each student's laptop. Mind Garden's Transform System collected raw scaled scores. The research team recorded blood pressure and heart rate with the digital Blood Pressure monitor with an upper arm cuff.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 74
• Est. completion date: November 28, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: November 28, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 19 Years to 34 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Graduate occupational therapy students enrolled in Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology or Physical Agent Modalities

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students not registered for Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology or Physical Agent Modalities

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Stress
• Test Anxiety

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Listening to music
Students listened to background music during a practical examination of 60 bpm.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Russell Sage College	Troy	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Russell Sage College

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	State-Trait Inventory	The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory a self-report questionnaire, follows a Likert scale and measures state and trait anxiety with 40 questions and a maximum score of 80	Day 1
Primary	Test Anxiety Inventory	The Test Anxiety Inventory is one of the most frequently used self-reported measures of situational anxiety and symptom frequency throughout an exam, like apprehension and nervousness	Day 1
Primary	Blood pressure	The measurement of a systolic and diastolic ratio	Day 1
Primary	Heart rate	Measuring beats per minute	Day 1