Comparison of two instructional methods on the levels of physiologic and psychologic stress as measured by blood cortisol and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Abstract

This study was designed to determine whether a systematic or nonsystematic instructional strategy affected the levels of physiologic and psychologic stress as measured by blood cortisol levels and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in students in the postsecondary educational setting. A convenience sample consisting of 43 subjects was randomly assigned to either a systematic or nonsystematic teaching group. The blood cortisol and STAI were measured 1 and 2 weeks before the treatment and following the treatment on the day of the study. Results of the study demonstrated that there were differential posttreatment increases in the amount of physiologic stress, as measured by blood cortisol levels produced by either instructional method. However, between the control measurement 1 week before the treatment and the posttreatment measurement, there were no effects observed for the psychologic STAI measures for either group. Accounting for the circadian rhythm effect of cortisol, there was a significant "buffering effect" in stress experienced by the subjects in the systematic teaching group. More specifically, the nonsystematic teaching group experienced a 55.42% rate increase in cortisol compared to a 10.74% rate increase for the systematic teaching group which was statistically significant. The systematic teaching method may be more effective in preventing physiologic stress in the educational setting and possibly in the clinical practice of anesthesia nursing. Additionally, the results suggested that the STAI may be inappropriate when used as an index of stress in certain educational settings.