Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of psychodrama on cognitive emotion regulation, self-efficacy, and academic resilience among students with test anxiety. A quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest, control group, and follow-up was employed. The population included all male and female secondary school students in Baneh during the 2024–2025 academic year. From 200 students referred by school counselors, 30 who scored below 30 on Friedman’s Test Anxiety Questionnaire were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Instruments included the Sherer Self-Efficacy Scale, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al.), and Samuels’ Academic Resilience Scale. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of psychodrama, while the control group received no intervention.



Repeated measures ANCOVA indicated that psychodrama significantly enhanced adaptive emotion regulation strategies (acceptance, positive reappraisal, refocusing, and perspective-taking) and reduced maladaptive strategies (self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, and other-blame). In addition, students in the experimental group showed significant improvements in self-efficacy and academic resilience compared with the control group. These positive changes persisted at a two-month follow-up assessment.



Overall, the findings support psychodrama as an effective intervention for improving cognitive emotion regulation, fostering self-efficacy, and strengthening academic resilience among students with test anxiety. Incorporating psychodrama into counseling services and educational programs may provide a practical strategy for addressing academic stress and enhancing students’ psychological resources.



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