EFFECTS OF GUIDED IMAGERY EXERCISES VERSUS WRITING AND EDITING EXERCISES ON WRITING ANXIETY AND SELF-PERCEPTION OF WRITING ABILITY OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

摘要

This study was conducted to determine the effects of guided imagery exercises, when compared with writing and editing exercises, on reducing writing anxiety and improving self-perception of writing ability of health professionals.;The primary data collection instruments were the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test and the Shilling Writing Ability Self-Assessment. The instruments were administered at the beginning and end of the workshops and four weeks later.;T-tests indicated that the guided imagery and writing and editing groups significantly reduced their writing anxiety and improved their self-perception of writing ability. The effects lasted at least a month after the workshops ended. The control group showed no significant change.;Although the results favored the guided imagery group, analysis of covariance indicated the posttest means for the two treatment groups were not significantly different. The treatment groups differed significantly from the control group at posttest time.;A nonrandomized control group pretest-posttest design was used. The treatment period lasted four weeks, with sessions meeting two and one-half hours a week. The researcher conducted two continuing education workshops entitled "How to Reduce Writing Anxiety and Improve Writing Skills." The workshops were similar except for a one-half hour segment each week during which either a guided imagery or writing and editing exercise was used. The workshops also included other techniques for reducing writing anxiety (for example, peer evaluation and sharing of writing problems). Treatments were randomly assigned to workshop groups. The two treatment groups were compared with each other and with a control group. Subjects were 74 adults from Central Ohio, about equally divided between the three groups.;The researcher concluded that it is possible to reduce writing anxiety and improve self-perception of writing ability in a relatively short period, that guided imagery and writing and editing exercises are almost equally effective, that the positive results were probably due to the workshops as a whole, rather than to any one particular technique, and that a program to change attitudes toward writing should consist of a variety of techniques.