1. Effects of Reading Poetry versus Facts on Level of Anxiety
Sedona McCabe

2. What’s the Point? Prevalence of anxiety
18.1% of adults in US diagnosed with anxiety disorder per year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018)
80% of college students report stress and feelings of anxiety (The American Institute of Stress, 2018)
Poetry therapy (Montgomery & Maunders 2015; Mohammadian et al., 2018)
Lack of research on effects of poetry on anxiety reduction
Means of communicating subdued thoughts and feelings
Although the use of creative art therapy has increased in recent years, lack of significant research on effects of poetry specifically on anxiety.

3. Furong et al. (2018)
Association between college students’ physical activity during free time and likelihood of being exposed to stress
21% depression and anxiety symptoms
59% exercise to cope with stress
Gauge stress coping mechanisms to determine if daily experiences could potentially reduce stress and anxiety

4. Montgomery & Maunders (2015)
Effectiveness of creative bibliotherapy in decreasing internalized behaviors and externalized behaviors, and strengthening of prosocial behaviors
Moderate positive effect on all behaviors
Decrease internalized and externalized behaviors
Strengthened prosocial behaviors
Reading (poetry) potentially reduce anxiety

5. Mohammadian et al. (2011)
Hypothesized poetry therapy positive effect on depression, anxiety and stress levels of undergraduate females
Results supporting hypothesis
Specifically poetry valid coping mechanism for anxiety and stress in college students

6. Overall Purpose/Goal and Research Question(s)
Purpose/Goal: to study the effects of poetry on anxiety in undergraduate students
Research Questions:
Does poetry have an effect on anxiety levels?
Is there a difference in the effect of poetry on anxiety levels of participants with high and low anxiety levels?

7. Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1: Reading poetry will decrease anxiety levels (HR and GSR).
Hypothesis 2: It will be more likely that reading poetry will decrease anxiety of participants with self-reports of high anxiety compared to those with self-reports of low anxiety.

8. Independent Variable Conditions
IV₁: Poetry (within)
Fun facts (control)
Poetry
IV₂: Level of Anxiety (between)
High
Low
Median split:14 and lower in low; 15 and higher in high

9. Measurement of Dependent Variables
Measured using biofeedback machine
DV₁: Heart Rate
Baseline
While reading fun facts
While reading poetry
DV₂: Skin Conductance (GSR)
Baseline
While reading fun facts
While reading poetry

10. Participants 40 undergraduate students at the University of Lynchburg
31 women, 9 men with average age of 20 (SD = 1.58)
34 Caucasians, 6 non-Caucasian
27 science major, 13 non-science major
23 self-reported they at least somewhat enjoy reading
16 students self-reported reading poetry at least sometimes
10 thrown out due to a faulty in equipment

11. Materials Beck Anxiety Inventory (trait anxiety) (Beck et al., 1988)
Biofeedback machine (HR and GSR)
Demographics Questionnaire
6 fun facts and 6 poems
2 questions
Trait: stable characteristics of anxiety
P: Rupi Kaur and r.h. Sin
FF: Livin3
2 questions about the content and their enjoyability of the passage for each poem and fun fact
Reason for content to test if they actually understanding and paying attention

12. Procedure Informed Consent form Demographics Questionnaire
Hook up to biofeedback machine
Obtain baseline heart rate (HR) and GSR (skin conductance)
Read fun facts and poetry (HR and GSR)
2 Questions following each poem and fun fact
Beck Anxiety Inventory
One 15 minute session

13. Data Analysis Design: mixed-model ANOVA Content: within-subjects
Differences in HR and GSR on content
Anxiety Level: between-subjects
Differences in HR and GSR on anxiety

14. Hypothesis 1 Results: Reading poetry would decrease HR
Main effect: content not significant, F (2, 76) = 1.08, p > .05, η2 = .03.
Baseline: (M = 86.46, SD = 28.68)
Fun Facts: (M = , SD = 22.84)
Poetry: (M = 88.44, SD = 22.10)
Main effect: anxiety not significant, F (1, 38) = .48, p > .05, η2 = .01.
Less anxiety: (M = 85.79, SD = 32.67)
More anxiety: (M = 90.85, SD =32.67)
Unfortunately, there was no significant main effects for HR, suggesting that HR did not significantly differ across time or condition.

15. Hypothesis 1 Results Continued
Interaction effect: content and anxiety on heart rate not significant, F (2, 76) = 2.14, p > .05, η2= .05
Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of heart rate on anxiety level (less, more) and content (baseline, fun facts, and poetry).
Anxiety Level
Mean
Standard Deviation
Baseline Heart Rate
Less
81.10
26.52
More
91.82
30.41
Total
86.46
28.68
Fun Facts Heart Rate
89.63
23.83
90.50
22.41
90.06
22.84
Poetry Heart Rate
86.65
22.97
90.23
21.75
88.44
22.10
Also no significant interaction effect

16. Hypothesis 2 Results: Reading poetry would decrease GSR
Main effect: content not significant, F (2, 76) = .88 , p > .05, η2 = .02
Baseline: (M = 3.19, SD = .82)
Fun Facts: (M = 3.20 , SD = .81)
Poems: (M = 3.20, SD = .81)
Main Effect: anxiety not significant, F (1, 38) = .61, p > .05, η2 = .02
Less anxiety: (M = 3.09, SD = 6.32)
More anxiety: (M = 3.30, SD = 6.32)
Also, there was no significant main effects for GSR, suggesting that GSR did not significantly differ across time or condition.

17. Hypothesis 2 Results Continued
Interaction effect: content and anxiety on GSR not significant, F (2, 76) = .07, p > .05, η2= .00
Table 2. Descriptive Statistics of GSR on anxiety level (less, more) and content (baseline, fun facts, and poetry).
Anxiety Level
Mean
Standard Deviation
Baseline GSR
Less
3.09
.08
More
3.29
.85
Total
3.19
.82
Fun Facts GSR
.79
3.30
.84
3.20
.81
Poetry GSR
Also no significant interaction

18. Research Contributions
Focused on a specific form of creative art: poetry
Included subjective and objective measurements
Only subjective: readiness and willingness to disclose
Inclusion of undergraduate college students
Enabled more direct comparison and observation
Nonclinical population
Inclusion of undergraduate students enabled a more direct comparison and observation of changes in anxiety levels amongst this specific population.

19. Conclusions Short-term exposure to poetry did not reduce anxiety
Reading poetry advantages:
Inexpensive
Easily accessible
Educational
Easy to implement and benefit academically

20. Limitations Sufficient manipulation of variables
More neutral control variable (scholastic work)
Session length (longer, multiple sessions)
Lack of state anxiety measure
Diversity:
Gender: 77.5% female and 85% Caucasian
BAI scores can range from 0-63: median = 14
Minimize response to the effects of variables (not IV), increasing the reliability of the results.
Short term not able to determine cause and effect, longer period of time may show the patterns of decreased anxiety levels as result of poetry over time
Anxiety at that time
Less of a difference between the less and more anxiety, neutralizing or undermining any effect of procedure

21. Future Research Pre and posttest state anxiety measure
Multiple, longer sessions
Objective measures (eliminate bias, prejudice, personal opinion/interpretation)
Continue to examine the viability of poetry as an intervention for anxiety in college undergraduates
Lead to potential differences in current state anxiety after reading poetry, rather than relying on physical effects from objective measures
Lead to potential greater difference in HR and GSR over that more extended period of time

22. References
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2018). Facts & Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2018 from
Furong, X., Wenhao, L., Chepyator-Thompson, J. R., & Schmidlein, R. (2018). Relations of physical activity and stress vulnerability in
university students. College Student Journal, 52(1), 65–73.
Liu, C. H., Stevens, C., Wong, S. H.M., Yasui, M., & Chen, J. A. (2018). The prevalence and predictors of mental health diagnoses and
suicide among u.S. College students: Implications for addressing disparities in service use. Depression and Anxiety. Advance
online publication.
Mohammadian, Y., Shahidi, S., Mahaki, B., Mohammadi, A. Z., Baghban, A. A., & Zayeri, F. (2011). Evaluating the use of poetry to
reduce signs of depression, anxiety and stress in Iranian female students. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 38(1),
doi: /j.aip
Montgomery, P., & Maunders, K. (2015). The effectiveness of creative bibliotherapy for internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial
behaviors in children: A systematic review.Children and Youth Services Review, 55,
doi: /j.childyouth
The American Institute of Stress (2018, August 02). College students. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from

23. Acknowledgements Dr. Marciano Dylan Elliott Addy Weaver
Greek Life and Intro to Psychology students
Eliza Gorra

24. Questions?