2645 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 5 No.

4 (Apr 2012) ISSN: 0974- 6846

The effect of practicing pranayama on test anxiety and test performance

Azadeh Nemati1 and Parya Habibi2
2

Young Researchers Club, Jahrom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran Young Researchers Club, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran 1 2 azadehnematiar@yahoo.com; paryahabibi@yahoo.com

Abstract Teachers observation and the related literature indicate that for many students the idea of taking a test can cause waves of panic and fear. As a result, it can negatively impact the students function. This study intends to investigate the effect of doing pranayama on test anxiety and test performance. The participants consist of 107 MA students who were randomly assigned to control and experimental group. The students of the experimental group practiced pranayama for one full semester before starting teaching. Sarasons (1980) test anxiety scale was given to both control and experimental groups in the final session before taking the exam. The gathered data were analyzed statistically. It revealed that due to practicing pranayama, 33% of the participants of experimental group fall in the high test anxiety category while this percent is nearly twice for the control group (66.7%). Furthermore, the result of the t-test for test anxiety and test performance showed that there was a significant difference between the student of control and experimental groups and based on the mean the students of experimental group had lower test anxiety (M=16.00) comparing the students of control group (M=19.31). Similarly, males and females of the experimental group had lower test anxiety comparing their males and females in control group. Also, test performance of experimental group was higher. Finally, the result of correlation showed that there was a negative correlation between final test performance and test anxiety (r= -0.204, P<0.05). This means that the higher test anxiety, the lower test performance. The result can be helpful for teachers and students to lower test anxiety. Keywords: Anxiety, Test Performance, Pranayama, Student. Introduction Todays ever-changing technologically advances and competitive environment cause persistence stress and anxiety to human. Although everyone worries occasionally, excessive and frequent anxiety can impair functioning. There is no shortage of way to define anxiety. It can be rigorously defined as an uncomfortable emotional state in which one perceives danger, feels powerless and experiences tension in preparation for an expected danger (Selami et al., 2009). Spielberger (1983) defined it as the subjective feeling of tension, apprehension, nervousness and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous system. In any way that it can be defined the central characteristics of anxiety is worry and it is clear that anxiety has a dreadful negative effect on all aspects such as, social, personal and academic performance. Psychologists have distinguished several categories of anxiety such as trait, state and situation-specific anxiety. Trait anxiety is an aspect of personality and a more permanent disposition to be anxious. It is chronic and pervasive across situations and is not triggered by specific events (Huberty, 2009). While, state anxiety can be conceptualized as a response to a particular anxietyprovoking stimulus (Spielberger, 1983), in other words it has a clear trigger. State anxiety is experienced at a particular moment in time as a response to definite situation. More recently the term situation-specific anxiety has been used to emphasize the persistent and mutlifaceted nature of some anxieties (MacIntyre & Gardner,
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1991). It aroused at specific situation such as public speaking anxiety. Test anxiety also, the central idea of the present article, is defined by Spielberger and Sarason (1989) as a situation-specific trait that refers to the anxiety states and worry condition that are experienced during examination. Test anxiety, then, is debilitating experience of anxiety during the preparation for a test, or during the test itself. Characteristics of anxiety As Huberty (2009) stated the specific conditions and mechanisms that cause anxiety are not well understood. For many students the idea of taking a test can cause waves of panic and fear. These fears manifested themselves both psychologically and physiologically. It is beneficial for the teacher to be familiar with the primary characteristics of anxiety and their symptoms explained as follows: Cognitive: The symptoms of cognitive anxiety are concentration, memory, and attention problems, over sensitivity, along with difficulty solving problems, worry and attribution style problems. Behavioral: with symptoms such as motor restlessness, fidget, task avoidance, rapid speech, erratic behavior, irritability, withdrawal, perfectionism, lack of participation, failure to complete tasks and seeking easy tasks. Physiological: physiological anxiety is shown by tics, recurrent, localized pain, and rapid heart rate, flushing of skin, perspiration, headache, and muscle tension, sleeping problems, nausea, vomiting and enuresis.
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2646 Indian Journal of Science and Technology The origin of test anxiety As mentioned by Jing (2007) research on test anxiety has identified three models that explain the origin of test anxiety. In the first model the problem lies not in the taking test, but in preparing test. According to this model which has identified as the learning deficit model, the students with high test anxiety tends to have or use inadequate learning or study skill while in the preparation stage of exam taking (Jing, 2007). The second model is termed as the interference model. This model postulates that during test, students with test anxiety focus on task irrelevant stimuli, which negatively affect the performance (Sarason, 1975). This interference can be classifies into physical distraction, and inappropriate cognition. Sweaty palm and muscle tension, and saying to one I am stupid, I wont pass or others are finishing before me are examples of physical distraction and inappropriate cognition accordingly. The third model of test anxiety includes people who think they have prepared adequately for a test, but in reality, did not. These people question their abilities after the test, which creates anxious during the next test. Whatever the origin of test anxiety is teachers observation, students experience and research results indicated that the test anxiety affects learning (e.g. foreign /second language) process negatively which is explained in the next part. The effects of test anxiety Academic performance can be affected by a plethora of variables. Test anxiety is one of those variables which in general are expected to have a negative effect on performance. Cassedy and Johnson (2002) and Jing (2007) are amongst researchers who showed that the test anxiety is negatively correlated with academic performance. Vogel and Collins (2008) stated that since administration of quizzes arouses anxiety, which interfere with performance, planned quizzes is a better substitute which leads to higher grades. The writer believed that with planned quizzes participants will be able to study which could counteract their anxiety level and bring it down to a more productive state. MacIntyre and Gardner (1993) stated that test anxiety not only has a negative correlation with language learning success but also it has been positively correlated to low self-confidence. Low performance in speaking and writing tasks in the target language, poor language proficiency test performance, low grades in language classes and in general low cognitive functioning are all effects of test anxiety (Young, 1991, Aida, 1994). The above mentioned researches are proof that how anxiety can impact students in a very real and debilitating ways. Yoga breathing exercises for energy and tranquility Clinical studies support that yoga postures, mediations and controlled breathing practices can alleviate stress and anxiety (Brown & Gerbag, 2005). In Sanskrit Yoga means to join or combine. It is the process which enables the person to clear the negative mental impression, control his mind and senses. The
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No. 4 (Apr 2012)

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forth of the classical eight limbs of yoga is pranayama. Prana is the vital force that sustains all of creation. Controlling ones prana through breathing exercises steadies the mind and cleanses the body. From the Sanskrit word prana means breath and yama is its cessation. It implies correct breathing and breath control. According to health experts anxiety will cause health problem. In their article Bhimani and the colleagues (2011) illustrated that after two months of practicing pranayama on 56 M.B.B.S students the stress level reduced as evident by decrease in total stress score which was highly significant. In another research the level of anxiety of the senior citizens (60 to 70 years old retired persons) decreased after three months of practicing pranayama (Gupta, et al., 2010). From literature it appears that practicing pranayama can reduce stress and anxiety in different groups. There are three stages of yoga breathing process: Inhalation, fills the lungs with air and stimulates the whole body. Retention, the oxygen is absorbed. Exhalation, toxic air is released into the atmosphere. The above simple breathing techniques gleaned from yogic practices offer agitated students concrete steps to begin self-calming (Poppleton, 2011). Considering the problems caused by having test anxiety and being familiar with the positive effects of pranayama, therefore, this study intends to answer the following research questions: 1) What is the level of test anxiety of control and experimental group after practicing pranayama? 2) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on test anxiety of experimental group in comparison to control group? 3) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on females/males test anxiety of experimental group in comparison to females/males of control group? 4) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on foreign language test performance of experimental group in comparison to control group? 5) Does test anxiety affect foreign language test performance? Methodology Participants The participants recruited in this research consist of 107 MA postgraduate Iranian students who had special English with the researcher. Generally speaking it was supposed that MA students take yoga and pranayama more seriously than undergraduate students. They were selected based on the availability/convenience method. They were from 2 different disciplines of social science and Persian literature. The four intact groups were randomly selected as control and experimental groups. In all, there were 2 control (N=49) and 2 experimental (N=58) groups. Their age ranged from 29 to 43 with the average of 27.91 and SD= 6.23. Within the sample 32% (N=35) of the participates were male and 67% (N=72) were female.
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2647 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Instruments In this study, two instruments were utilized for data collection. Sarason Anxiety Scale (1980) were used to measure the participants test anxiety both at the beginning of the semester and at the end before final exam. This questionnaire includes 37 yes/no questions along with some demographic questions eliciting information such as, age, gender and field of study added by the researcher. To eliminate misunderstanding, the translation of the questionnaire was given to the students. The reliability of the test calculated by Cronbach alpha was 0.79. The second instrument was the final foreign language achievement test prepared by the researcher based on the materials covered during the term and major of the participants. The test was conducted at the end of the academic year to measure achievement of the students, Procedure Since the researcher got her PhD degree from India she had an opportunity to also get some degree in yoga and practicing pranayama. Maybe these techniques are something common in India but they are less common in other countries like Iran. Hence the researcher started the procedure in the class herself. Procedure of the study started from the first session Sarasons test anxiety was give to the students in the first session. Before starting the teaching phase the researcher in the first session explained yoga, its benefit and the art of breathing or pranayama. The students were not aware so the first session was a kind of awareness session. The practical method of pranayama started from the second session in the class and before teaching. Though there are different breathing technique the researcher utilized a very simple pranayama method, which was easy for the students of experimental group. For the control group there was not the breathing method before teaching. The technique is as follows: Each session before teaching phase, the teacher asked the students to sit quietly for one minute in their own places in the class. She asked the students to breathe deeply and easily, also meanwhile think that the students are going to receive energy to the body and mind to become healthier, to become robust and strong. She asked them to think that they are going to throw all the impurities of mind and the body through exhaling breath and think that they are going to have fresh and pure energy by inhaling the fresh Prana, the breath fully filled with life, strength, positivism and energy. During breathing technique the participants were asked to chant positive mantras such as , I can, I am able to do, I am successful, I am the best in the world, Then, while eyes are closed, back erect, mind relaxed the pranayama would be started. It had three phases, Slow inhale, by taking a deep breath as deep as possible, very slowly and steadily, without hurrying up.
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The mind should think that you are taking the energy into your body. Hold, by holding the breath as long as each student is comfortable. During this time, think that the prana or energetic breath that you have taken in is cleansing the whole body from tip of the brain to tip of leg. Imagine as though the air is moving all over the body and cleansing all the organs and mind. Slow exhale, where the teacher asked the students to exhale slowly. Exhaling period was longer than inhaling period. While exhaling think that all the impurities of the body and mind were cleaned are now let out of the body. Each session the following steps were repeated for one full semester from 1 to 3 times in the first section and increased to 10 minutes in the last section which was the th 14 section. In the final exam session first anxiety test was given to the students then foreign language test was administered. The papers were corrected and the data were submitted to the SPSS software, the results are shown in the next part. Data analysis
Table 1. The result of independent sample t-test between test anxiety of control and experimental groups as pre test Groups N Mean SD t Sig (Twotailed) Control 49 19.31 5.59 .752 .454 Experimental 58 18.48 5.68

Before conducting the experiment Sarasons anxiety test was given to the students of control and experimental groups to assure their homogeneity. As it is shown in Table 1, there was not any significant difference in anxiety between the students control and experimental group at the beginning of the term. The next part will show the results after one semester treatment and doing pranayama in the experimental group. 1) What is the level of test anxiety of control and experimental group after practicing pranayama?
Table 2. Anxiety level of control and experimental groups Anxiety level Control Experimental Total Low 5 (26.3%) 14 (73.7%) 19 (100%) Medium 22 (40.4%) 33 (60.0%) 55(100%) High 22 (66.7%) 11(33.3%) 33 (100%) Total 49 (45.8%) 58 (54.2%) 107 (100%)

To answer the first research question, Sarasons anxiety test scores were divided into three levels. Less than 12 was considered low test anxiety, between 12 and 20 medium and more than 20 was high test anxiety score. From Table 2 it can be depicted that 73% of the participants had low test anxiety which is more comparing percentage of control group (26.3%). Also, the percentage of medium test anxiety participants was higher in the experimental group (60% vs. 40%). Furthermore, due to practicing pranayama the 33% of the participants of experimental group fall in the high test anxiety category while this percent is nearly twice for the control group (66.7%). This shows positive effect of practicing pranayama in lowering test anxiety.
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2648 Indian Journal of Science and Technology 2) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on test anxiety of experimental group in comparison to control group? A Levene test found that the assumption of homogeneity was met, P= 0.173. Therefore an independent sample t-test based on equal variances was calculated comparing the mean of experimental group with pramayama method and control group without practicing pranayama. From Table 3 it is clear that there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding the test anxiety t(105)=3.27, P< .001. In other words, the students of experimental group had lower test anxiety (M= 16.00) comparing the students of control group (M=19.31) (Table 3).
Table 3. Result of independent sample t-test between test anxiety of control and experimental groups Groups N Mean SD t Sig (Two-tailed) Control 49 19.31 5.59 3.27 .001 Experimental 58 16.00 4.81

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homogeneity of the two groups P= 0.342, hence a two tailed independent sample t-test was carried out. The results indicated that there was a significant difference considering the test performance of the students of control and experimental group, t (105)= 2.23, P<.05. It can be said that test performance of experimental group was higher comparing test performance of control group (M= 14.71vs. 13.70) (Table 5).
Table 5. The result of independent sample t-test between foreign language test performance of control and experimental groups Groups N Mean SD t Sig (Two-tailed) Control 49 13.70 2.18 2.23 .027 Experimental 58 14.71 2.44

3) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on females/males test anxiety of experimental group in comparison to females of control group? In this research question the researcher intended to compare female of control and experimental group regarding test anxiety, as well as males of control and experimental group (Table 4).
Table 4. Result of independent sample t-test between males/females of control and experimental groups Groups/females N Mean SD t Sig (Twotailed) Control 28 19.50 5.91 2.51 .014 Experimental 44 16.32 4.75 Groups/males N Mean SD t Sig (Twotailed) Control 21 19.50 5.27 2.24 .032 Experimental 14 15.00 5.19

5) Does test anxiety affect foreign language test performance? The last research question was answered by utilizing correlation coefficient between test anxiety and final test performance (Table 6). The result of correlation showed that there was a negative correlation between final test performance and test anxiety (r = -.204, P<.05). This means that the higher test anxiety, the lower test performance.
Table 6. Result of correlation between test anxiety and foreign language test performance Final test performance Anxiety test Pearson correlation -.204* Sig. (2-tailed) .035 N 107 *.Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

It was shown that test anxiety of experimental group was lower comparing the control group. Since the results of the Levene test approved the assumption of the homogeneity of the two groups P= 0.121 for female group and P= 0.659 for males a series of independent sample ttests were used. Similarly, it was illustrated that both females and males of experimental group had lower test anxiety. The results of t-tests between females of control and experimental group t(105)= 2.51, P< 0.05 as well as males of control and experimental group t(105)= 2.24, P<0.05 showing the positive effect of practicing pranayama in decreasing test anxiety. 4) What is the effect of practicing pranayama on foreign language test performance of experimental group in comparison to control group? To answer this research question regarding the effect of practicing pranayama on final test performance, the scores of final foreign language test was considered. The result of the Levene test approved the assumption of the
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Discussion and conclusion Feeling anxious at time is very common among the students. Some students experience some level of stress when anticipating or taking an exam. A little nervousness can actually help motivate the students but if the stress is become too intense it can affect the concentration exam performance, and it is called test anxiety (Johnson, 2011). The first research question revealed that the level of test anxiety decreased at higher grades. In other words 33.3% of the participant of experimental group had high test anxiety while 66.7% of the participants in control group had test anxiety which is twice more than experimental group. This means that practicing pranayama in the class could reduce and control test anxiety. From the second research question it was also shown that there was a significant difference between the test anxiety of control and experimental group. From the mean it was clear that test anxiety of experimental group was less than their counterpart. Similarly there was a significant difference between test anxiety of males of control and experimental groups as well as females of control and experimental groups in favor of experimental group.
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2649 Indian Journal of Science and Technology From the first three research questions the positive effect of practicing pranayama in lowering test anxiety was shown. This can be justified by understanding the basic philosophy of doing pranayama. The purpose of yoga breathing exercise is to supply the body with oxygen and cleanse it of carbon dioxide and other toxins. Oxygen in blood is vital for: Assimilating of food we eat for full filling bodys various needs like rebuilding tissues, supplying energy; Stimulating the functioning of the endocrine glands; Providing energy for functioning of brain, nerves, heart and other vital organs; Distribution of vital energy throughout the body (Yoga, 2011). But most of us are unaware of the fact that the loss of energy/prana we often feel in our body is mostly due to incorrect breathing. Generally, we may be utilizing only a small portion of our lung capacity. This inadequate supply of oxygen results in improper waste disposal from the body. The body functions are slowed down and the cells/tissues fail to regenerate themselves due to lack of sufficient energy. With pranayama practice one can increase the intake of oxygen up to five times. This means that one can get rid of five times of carbon dioxide from the body. Students could imagine the improvement in the health and reducing anxiety by doing pranayama. The fourth research question dealt with language test performance. The result indicated that there was a significant difference in test performance of control and experimental group. Due to practicing pranayama the performance of experimental group was higher comparing the control group. Related literature on test anxiety in foreign language learning indicated that there are some factors that have an influence on students reactions to language tests. These are perceptions of test validity, time limit, test technique, test format, length, testing environment and clarity of test instruction (Young, 1999). Finally, in this study it was revealed that there was a negative relationship between test anxiety and test performance. In other words, the higher test anxiety is the lower test performance. Affective factors can have a strong influence on foreign language learning. As stated in (Johnson, 2001) a helpful way of conceptualizing that influence is to regard affect as a filter through which foreign language input has to pass before it is acquired. Where the feeling of the learner is positive, we might say that she is more open to input. His/her filter is clean and language passes easily through it. A leaner with negative feeling, in this case test anxiety, will on the other hand be closes to input. This notion is called Krashens input theory. In this study better
Fig. 1. The affective filter filter Input Language Acquisition Device Acquired competence

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performance of experimental group and negative correlation of test performance and anxiety was shown in the fourth and fifth research questions respectively. Fig.1 is after Krashen and Terrell (1983, p. 39). The beauty of this technique is that it is readily available to everyone, every minute of every day. For students in anxious situations such as in-class tests standardized exams, final exams, oral presentations etc. knowing this technique can be the difference between success and failure. For a nervous student or anyone who knows too well how anxiety manifests itself in the body and mind, the knowledge that something as simple as breathing differently can produce a different physical and mental response is quiet powerful. To know how to use the strength of our own breath to calm and regulate anxiety is valuable information and something to consider when we work with the students who exhibit test taking or language related anxiety (Poppleton, 2011). References 1. Aida Y (1994) Examination of Horwitz, Horwitz and Coes construct of foreign language anxiety: The case of students of Japanese. The Modern Language J. 78, 155-168. 2. Bhimani NT, Kulkarni NB, Kowale A & Salvi S (2011) Effect of pranayama on stress and cardiovascular autonomic tone & reactivity. NJIRM. 2(1), 48-54. 3. Brown R and Gerbag P (2005) Sudarshan Kriya yogic beathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression. The J. Alt. & Complementary Med. 2(4), 711-717. 4. Cassedy JC and Johnson RE (2002) Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance. Contemp. Educ. Psychol. 27(2), 270-295. 5. Gupta PK, Kumari R, Kumar M and Deo JM (2010) Anuloma-Viloma pranayama and anxiety and depression among the aged. J.Indian Acad. Appl. Psychol. 36(1), 159-164. 6. Huberty TJ (2009) Test and test performance. Principal Performance. 10(1), 12-16. 7. Jing H (2007) Analysis on the relationship among test anxiety, self-concept and academic competency. USChina Foreign Language. 5(1), 48-51. 8. Johnson K (2001) An introduction to foreign language learning and teaching. London: Pearson Education. 9. Krashen SD and Terrell TD (1983) The natural approach. Pergamon & Alemany, NY. 10. MacIntyre PD and Gardner RC (1991) Language anxiety: Its relation to other anxieties and to processing in native and second languages. Language Learning. 41(58), 117. 11. MacIntyre PD and Gardner RC (1993) On the measurement of affective variables in second language learning. Language Learning. 43, 157-194. 12. Poppleton CA (2011) Language learners and anxiety: Breathing technique for self-calming. TESOL Connections.
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2650 Indian Journal of Science and Technology 13. Sarason IG (1975) Test anxiety and the self-disclosing coping model. J.Consulting & Clinc. Psychol. 43, 148152. 14. Sarason IG (1980) Test anxiety: Theory, research and applications. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ. 15. Selami A, Yavuz F and Yesilyurt S (2009) Test anxiety in foreign language learning. Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 146-160. 16. Spielberger CD (1983) Manual for the state- trait anxiety inventory. Consulting Psychologist Press, Palo Alto, CA. 17. Spielberger CD and Sarason IG (1989) Stress and anxiety. Vol. 12. Hemisphere Publ., Corporation. Washington. 18. Vogel HL and Collins AL (2008) The relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. Website. Webclearinghouse.net. 19. Yoga (2011) Yoga Breathing exercises for energy and tranquility. Retrieved from http://www.yoga-forbeginners-a-practical-guide.com/yoga-breathing.html 20. Young DJ (1991) The relationship between anxiety and foreign language oral proficiency rating. In: Language anxiety: from theory and research to classroom implication. Horwitz DJ & Young DJ (Eds.), Prentice Hall, NY. pp: 57-63. 21. Young DJ (1999) Affect in foreign language and second language learning. McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA. Vol. 5 No. 4 (Apr 2012) ISSN: 0974- 6846

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