A Quantitative Study Comparing the Effects of Physical and Digital Mandala Coloring on Anxiety in High School Students

Abstract

Through the frameworks of Solution-Focused School Counseling (SFSC) and art therapy, this quantitative research paper compared the potential effects of using a physical versus a digital mandala coloring page with high school students experiencing test anxiety before a final exam. Participants took part in one of two experimental tasks before taking their exam, where they either used colored pencils to color a preset mandala or used a cellphone-based website to color in a mandala digitally. Participants completed a brief pretest-posttest State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and answered an independent questionnaire to further understand their experience after artmaking. Data results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and limitations, validity, and future research suggestions were discussed in this paper. Data results supported the hypothesis that not only did students find the physical coloring method anxiety-reducing, but also that the physical and digital artmaking were similarly valuable coping tools for adolescents experiencing test anxiety.

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