The Effect of Drug X on Self-Reports of Anxiety in a Sample of Undergraduate Psychology Majors

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Method
Reference List

Introduction

Anxiety forms part of an individual’s body mechanisms in which it communicates that something or an act is wrong and hence, there is need to undertake corrective measures (Aleksovski, 2009). This sign has been categorised as one of the essential human survival tactics as it ensures individual wellbeing. An anxious individual can describe the act as jittery, nervous, jumpy, confusion, and nervous, among other feelings.

On the other hand, stress is a behavioral mechanism that occurs to the human body as a result of the change in either internal or external environment of the individual (Aleksovski, 2009). A student who is preparing for examination can be subjected to stress.

Drugs have been developed with the aim of suppressing an individual’s level of stress thus reducing anxiety levels among patients or students (Putwain, 2005). The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of a new drug on perceptions of anxiety in order to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in college students during scheduled exams.

There are a number of past studies that have been carried out by psychologists in a view to study stress, anxiety, their relations, major causes, and how they can be prevented. In a study carried by Dr. Susannah Murphy, a neuroscientist in the University of Oxford found out that there is a closer relationship between antidepressants and anxiety (Nauert, 2010).

The study also revealed that the use of antidepressants had an immediate effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. However, it was concluded that some drugs responded faster than others in the reduction of anxiety among human beings.

Studies that have been carried on animals (mice) which have artificially been induced to stress and then given the antidepressants drugs have shown that the drugs reduce stress (Ito, Nagai, Oikawa, Yamada & Hanawa, 2011). Students waiting for exams are induced to artificial stress and as a result, they are prone to anxiety. This conclusion can be made based on past studies in order to support the current research paper.

The emotional wellbeing of students plays a great role in ensuring that students do well in their school tests and examinations. On the other hand, stress is believed to cause perceived anxiety among school children which is an emotional feeling (Putwain, 2005). Research studies have been carried to determine the drugs that are often used suppress stress as a step towards the reduction of stress anxiety on students.

It is important to note that prolonged stress can cause clinical depressions among students (National Institute of Mental Health n. d.). This results from pressure to pass exams and from parents and teachers who also expect better grades from their children and students, respectively. Students can go for a very long time without ever knowing that they are stressed out.

The research study hypothesis is that that experimental drug X will produce an increase in the perceived anxiety on students. The dependant variable which is the experiment research outcome is the behavioral effect that the experimental drug produces when injected on the students.

On the other hand, the independent variable of the hypothesis is the experimental drug X which is injected to the subjects under the study. The research study aims at proving that indeed the new drug X can be used to suppress educational stress thus leading to anxiety reduction.

The unique aspect of the study is that it projects the application of the use of antidepressants on students rather than health adults. Previous studies have dealt largely on family people, patients, and workers. In contrast, this study specializes on undergraduate students of the ages between 21 and 25 years old.

Another aspect worth of consideration is that it derives its foundation on the studies that have already been carried out, making the expected outcomes more reliable and dependable. The previous studies have been based on placebo and specific drug tests; however, this particular study applies the specific drug while the control group is not subjected to any form of drugs.

Lastly, past researches have been carried in laboratories or hospitals but this one is carried on a classroom setting. The study offers an educational and psychological breakthrough in establishing the relationship that exists between examinations and perceived anxiety among students. It would be possible to use the results in future consultation for the purpose of averting stress among students.

Method

Participants

The proposed research study intends to use human participants from the undergraduate psychology class population. A sample of 30 students would be enough for the study. The students will have special characteristics as they are supposed to be of between 21 and 25 years old. The students will be from the same year of study and the issue of race and color will be considered.

This would ensure that data from different demographical backgrounds and statuses is collected. They also need to have been studying very hard towards their examination. Out of the 30 students 15 will be male and 15 will be female. The students will voluntarily participate in the study and to get their attention, a notice will be placed in the psychology class notice board and the school website.

It will also be passed on through Facebook and Twitter as they are easy means of communication and interaction. The message will entail the expected benefits of the drug X one used. It is believed to reduce anxiety and stress among students. The drug X has been found fit by the national bureau of food stuffs and drugs.

Supposing the participants respond rate is more than 100% or over 30, for example 60, then systematic sampling will be used. Their names will be arranged alphabetically before subjecting them to selection. The 60 subjects will be divided by 30 to get 2, where every second, fourth, sixth up to thirtieth subject is reached and recorded.

The sequence will be followed, recording the subjects until a sample of 30 participants was reached at. Upon the approval of their consent and that of the institution to carry out the study, the subjects will be ready for the experimental study.

No form of motivating the students to participate in study shall be applied as the study is purely voluntary. Lastly, all participants will be provided with an informed consent that must be completed in order to participate.

Apparatus

Based on the nature of the study, the research will require questionnaires, drug X, drug delivery mechanism, and examination papers. The applicability of these apparatus is discussed more in a precise and elaborate manner under the design and procedure.

Design and Procedure

Because of the requirements and the nature of the study, the researcher has deemed it necessary to make use of experiment study design. The study will be carried by a single researcher who is me using the theoretical framework and learning gained from the psychology class.

However, research assistants will be used when the need be and where necessary. The proposed study involves two levels of independent variables. The two levels of independent variables that will be used include a control group where no drug tablets use and specific dose of drug X.

The study will use two groups where one will be a control group (Group B) and the experimental group (Group A). To make the study simple and viable, the two groups will be divided on the basis of gender parity. For the control group, 8 females and 7 males will be used while 7 females and 8 males will be used in the experimental group. The study will be carried on the same time simultaneously.

However the subjects will be placed in different rooms. Group A will be given the tablet of new drug X and placed in an examination room with a 10 minutes exam. The subjects can swallow or chew the drugs. However, in this case, the subjects will be required to chew the tablet to allow quick absorption in the blood mainstream.

They will be issued with issued with a test after a period of thirty minutes to ensure that the drug has been absorbed in the blood mainstream. They will be observed for any form of anxiousness so as to aid in supporting the collected information using the survey tools. After the exam they will be administered with a self report survey to measure the effects of the drugs on the participants’ anxiety and stress levels.

The same procedure will simultaneously be carried on the control group (Group B) only that they will be not be given drug X. it should be noted that the experiments will be carried in the same time to avoid any participants interactions (from the two different groups). This would reduce the chances of having Hawthorne effect which subjects study to biasedness.

Data collection

To collect data under the self report survey, survey tools will be used. A well designed questionnaire will be distributed to each participant in the two research experimental groups. The questionnaires will have well structured questions that are not leading and ones that would require easy and simple answers.

The reason why questionnaire will be used is because of its applicability in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, it is also cheap, reliable, and it collects data which can be used for in depth analysis. Surveys allow reliability and validity because of their standardized nature.

The collected data will be compiled and responses that will be similar in either wording or implications will be grouped together. The grouped data and information will then labeled using digits that would be easily subjected to SPSS for analysis. The data and information was later evaluated.

Data Analysis

The survey data will undergo thorough analysis process. The raw data that has undergone weighting and labeling will be recorded and stored in a computer ready for analysis. Using different data analysis software, the data will undergo SPSS analysis.

Descriptive statistics will be generated where the similarity in collected data will be found. The measurements of the data will be expressed as measures of variability and those of tendency. On the measures of central tendency, mode, mean, and median will be calculated in order to describe the data distribution.

On the other hand, measures of variability will be subjected to standard deviation and variance calculation. This will determine the spread of the scores of the collected data on the certain behaviors under the study.

Lastly, the final data will involve, hypothesis testing is conducted using inferential statistics. The hypothesis testing will determine whether the hypothesis is supported or nullified. It will be carried based on the different variables used in the study. This will form a basis from where discussion of the results and conclusion will be made.

Reference List

Aleksovski, G. (2009). Anxiety symptoms. Web.

Ito, N., Nagai, T., Oikawa, T., Yamada, H., & Hanawa, T. (2011). Antidepressant-like Effect of l-perillaldehyde in Stress-induced Depression-like Model Mice through Regulation of the Olfactory Nervous System. Web.

Nauert, R. (2010). Some antidepressants work fast for anxiety. Web.

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Depression and College Students What do these students have in common? Web.

Putwain, D. (2005). Researching academic stress and anxiety in students: Some methodological considerations. British Educational Research Journal, 33(2), 207-219.

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