The Effects of Stress Inoculation, Physical Relaxation and Skills Acquisition Training on Managing Stress among University Undergraduates in Lagos Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the relative effectiveness of stress inoculation, skills acquisition and physical relaxation in the management of stress among university undergraduates. The participants were 240 full-time 300 level students selected through cluster sampling from four departments in the University of Lagos, Akoka and Lagos State University, Ojo, Nigeria. The departments were randomly assigned to either of the three treatment conditions (stress inoculation, physical relaxation, and skills acquisition) or the control group. Data was collected using the psycho physiological symptoms checklist and Test Anxiety Inventory. Two research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The hypotheses were tested using the factorial Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings show that the participants in stress inoculation, skills acquisition and physical relaxation group recorded significant reduction in psychophysiogical symptoms, worry and emotionality reactions at post-test than the participants in the control group. While the physical relaxation was more effective than the other treatment conditions in reducing psychophysiological symptoms, the stress inoculation was more effective in reducing the
participants worry and emotionality reactions to evaluative situations.

Keywords: Stress Inoculation; Physical Relaxation; Stress Management.

International Journal of Educational Research Vol. 4 (1) 2008: pp. 1-8