Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization to Reduce Students

Anxiety in Facing Undergraduate Thesis

Masnurrima Heriansyah and Sestuningsih Margi Rahayu

Department of Guidance and Counseling, Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia

Keywords: Anxiety, Effectiveness, Systematic Desensitization.

Abstract: Anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis is an obstacle for students in completing their undergraduate study in

university, so that a proper handling is required. This research is to examine the effectiveness of systematic

desensitization to reduce student anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis. This research is an experimental

research using Pre-experimental research design with one group pre-test and post-test design. The subject of

this research was 10 students of guidance and counseling study program, Faculty of Teacher Training and

Education, Mulawarman University. Sample was collected using purposive sampling technique and the data

analysis technique was descriptive percentage analysis.The results show that systematic desensitization

technique is effective to reduce student anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis. Effectiveness is illustrated in

the results of pre-test and post-test.

1 INTRODUCTION

Every individual has experienced anxiety in his/her

life, various reactions arise when anxiety is

approaching. The reactions shown by an individual is

normal and do not last for too long. According to

Atkinson (2008) anxiety is an uncomfortable

emotional state characterized by subjective tension,

concern, and anxiety coupled with the vibration of the

autonomic nervous system with varying degrees. The

anxiety that occurs in the individual has a different

intensity depending on the readiness of someone in

facing it.

The anxiety that occurs mostly cause a negative

reaction in a person. According to Dewi (2006), the

negative reaction has an impact on some components,

namely: 1) Cognitive components, widespread fear

and often affect the ability to think clearly, solve

problems and overcome the environment, 2)

Emotional components, the person has a widespread

fear and conscious, so that emerged feeling of self-

doubt, 3) Behavioral components marked with

trembling, anxiety, and behavior of avoiding. Anxiety

usually occurs in individuals who have certain tasks

but are unable to finish well because they have high

anxiety, such as students.

One of the anxiety that occurs in students is when

they face the final task of preparing the thesis.

Anxiety in facing the preparation of undergraduate

thesis is a realistic anxiety. Anxiety in preparing

undergraduate thesis occurs on students of guidance

and counseling study program, it can be seen from the

visible symptoms: 1) Students are anxious to get

undesirable advisor, 2) Students make excuses to

avoid thesis, 3) Students do not know what to do in

preparing the thesis. Symptoms that appear are

reinforced by interviews on some students who are

preparing their undergraduate thesis. From the

interview, there are several things obtained: 1)

Students are anxious to prepare their thesis because

they do not know what to do in preparing the thesis

such as starting the thesis, references used, 2) anxious

when their thesis is rejected, 3) anxious when they get

undesirable advisor, 4) Low motivation to finish their

thesis.

In addition to visible symptoms and interviews to

students who are preparing their undergraduate thesis,

the researchers conducted in depth research through

the distribution of psychological scales about anxiety

to guidance and counseling students in facing

undergraduate thesis, 70% of guidance and

counseling study program students have anxiety in

preparing their undergraduate thesis. The problems

faced by students in preparing undergraduate thesis

needs to be overcome so as not to affect the students

and inhibit the completion of the thesis.

Based on the problems faced by guidance and

counseling study program students in preparing their

undergraduate thesis, a proper treatment is required

so that the problems can be resolved. Treatment used

Heriansyah, M. and Margi Rahayu, S.

Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization to Reduce Students Anxiety in Facing Undergraduate Thesis.

DOI: 10.5220/0009017800002297

In Proceedings of the Borneo International Conference on Education and Social Sciences (BICESS 2018), pages 137-141

ISBN: 978-989-758-470-1

137

in this research was systematic desensitization

technique. This technique was used with the

consideration of the problems experienced, which

was anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis.

According to Erfort (2016), systematic

desensitization is a procedure in which clients

repeatedly recall, imagine or experience anxiety-

inducing events and then use relaxation techniques to

suppress anxiety caused by the event. Taking into

account the problems faced by students, researchers

asked question: how is the effectiveness of systematic

desensitization technique in reducing students

anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis?

2 INTRODUCTION TO

SYSTEMATIC

DESENSITIZATION

TECHNIQUE

Systematic desensitization technique is one of

approaches used in changing negative behavior that

occurs in an individual. According to

Abimanyu&Manrihu (2000), desensitization is an

approach to change behavior through a combination

of techniques consisting of thinking about something,

calming down, and imagining things.

The procedures used in systematic

desensitization technique according to Willis (2009)

are 1) analyze behavior that triggers anxiety, 2)

arrange hierarchy or levels of situations that trigger

anxiety from the least to the most worrying to the

counselee, 3) provide relaxation exercises for

muscles, starting from the arm muscles to the leg

muscles. Counselee's feet are placed on a pillow or

wool cloth. In details, muscle relaxation starts from

arms, head, then neck and shoulders, back, abdomen

and chest, then lower body parts, 4) The counselee is

asked to imagine a pleasant situation like being on the

beach, in the middle of a green garden, etc., 5) The

counselee is told to close his/her eyes, then told to

imagine a less worrying situation. If the client is able

to be finish it without being anxious and restless, then

the situation can be resolved by the counselee, 6) If in

a situation counselee feels anxious and restless, the

counselor orders the counselee to imagine the

pleasant situation to eliminate the anxiety, 7)

Arrangement of hierarchy or levels of anxiety must

be done with the client, and the counselor writes it on

paper.

According to Morris in Corey (2012)

systematic desensitization technique is divided into

three steps: (1) relaxation exercise, (2) develop an

anxiety hierarchy, (3) use the right systematic

desensitization. Anxiety reduction can be effective if

the counselor performs treatment with a prescribed

procedure.

3 RELATED WORKS

This study aims to reduce student anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis. Therefore, the research focuses

on reducing the anxiety that appears in students who

are facing undergraduate thesis. According to Corey

(2012), anxiety is a state of being tense that forces

someone to do something. Anxiety reduction is done

by using a technique related to anxiety that is

systematic desensitization technique.

The anxiety that emerged became the basis in

determining this research, it can be seen from the

results of observation, interview and measurement

through psychological scale. Meanwhile, systematic

desensitization technique was used based on its

function that can change problematic behavior. So in

this research, the effectiveness test of systematic

desensitization technique to reduce student anxiety in

facing undergraduate thesis was conducted.

4 METHOD

This research used pre-experimental design with one

group pre-test and post-test design. In this design, the

subject was subjected to a double-measurement

treatment. The first measurement was conducted prior

to the application of systematic desensitization

technique and the second measurement was

conducted after the application of systematic

desensitization technique to research subject.

Figure 1: Treatment design

Description:

Y: The first measurement, student anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis before receiving treatment

and being measured using an anxiety scale

instrument.

X: Systematic desensitization technique

implementation.

Y: Final measurement, after receiving treatment

using systematic desensitization technique.

The research process began with data collection

before treatment (pre-test), then giving treatment

using systematic desensitization technique and

followed by data collection after treatment (post-test).

The research was conducted in guidance and

counseling study program of the Faculty of Teacher

BICESS 2018 - Borneo International Conference On Education And Social

138

Training and Education of Mulawarman University,

from April to November 2017.Subjects in this study

were 10 students who experienced anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis using purposive sampling.

Data collection technique was using

psychological scale. According to Azwar (2009) that

the scale of psychology always refers to a measure or

affective attribute. Data collection tool used in this

research was the scale of anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis that has been developed by

researchers based on various theory. Data analysis

was using percentage descriptive analysis to find out

empirical data about student anxiety level in facing

undergraduate thesis before and after receiving

treatment using systematic desensitization technique.

5 EXPERIMENTS AND RESULTS

The results of this research were obtained from the

experimental process through pre-test and post-test

results related to student anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis with the following stages:

5.1 Pre-test Results

Levels of anxiety of guidance and counseling study

program students in facing undergraduate thesis

before receiving treatment will be measured using

pre-test through anxiety scale to find out the

frequency of student anxiety level. Data distribution

of anxiety level of students in facing undergraduate

thesis will be presented in the followings.

Table 1: Recapitulation of pre-test results

Criteria Range of

Score

Frequency %

High 154-210 8 80

Moderate 98-153 2 20

Low 42-97 0 0

Total

10 100

From the above data, it can be seen that 8

respondents (80%) are in high criteria and 2

respondents (20%) are in moderate criteria. These

results are supported by respondent answers stating

that they experience tension, discomfort, pessimism,

are depressed and not relax.

5.2 Post-test Results

Level of anxiety of guidance and counseling study

program students in facing undergraduate thesis

decreased after receiving treatment using systematic

desensitization technique.The following table shows

the frequency distribution of student anxiety level

after receiving treatment.

Table 2: Recapitulation of post-test results

Criteria Range of

Score

Frequency %

High 154-210 0 0

Moderate 98-153 1 30

Low 42-97 9 70

Total

10 100

From the data above, it can be seen that 9

respondents (70%) stated that the level of anxiety in

facing undergraduate thesis using systematic

desensitization technique decreased to low criteria

and 1 respondent (30%) was in the moderate criteria

after the treatment.

These results indicate that the level of anxiety of

guidance and counseling study program students in

facing undergraduate thesis decreased after the

treatment. Treatment results show that there was 1

respondent who was in moderate criteria. The

respondent also experienced a decrease in anxiety

from high to moderate. Respondents in moderate

criteria are still experiencing anxiety in overcoming

tension.

The followings are the levels of anxiety of

guidance and counseling study program students in

facing undergraduate thesis before and after treatment

using systematic desensitization technique.

Table 3: Data summary of criteria before and after Treatment

Before Treatment After Treatment

Criteria Range of Score F % Criteria Range of Score F %

High 154-210 8 80 High 154-210 - -

Moderate 98-153 2 20 Moderate 98-153 1 30

Low 42-97 0 0 Low 42-97 9 70

Total 10 100 Total

10 100

From the above data, it can be explained that the

level of anxiety of guidance and counseling study

program students in facing undergraduate thesis

before and after treatment using systematic

desensitization techniques in general is in the high

criteria then the anxiety decreased after the treatment.

Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization to Reduce Students Anxiety in Facing Undergraduate Thesis

139

5.3 Effectiveness Test of Systematic

Desensitization Technique in

Reducing Student Anxiety in

Facing Undergraduate Thesis

Effectiveness testing of systematic desensitization

technique to reduce student anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis. The testing criteria is if the

average value before the treatment is greater than the

average value after the treatment, it is said to be

effective. Conversely, if the average value before the

treatment is smaller than the average value after the

treatment, it is said to be ineffective. The following

will present data on the effectiveness of systematic

desensitization technique.

Table 4: Effectiveness of systematic desensitization technique

Respondent

Total Total Average Average

Desc

Before

Treatment

After

Treatment Before After

K1 156 56 15.3 6.9 Effective

K2 170 60 13.8 6.3 Effective

K3 160 82 16.3 10.2 Effective

K4 162 108 14.4 6.7 Effective

K5 158 50 15.2 6.3 Effective

K6 179 56 16.4 4.9 Effective

K7 164 70 14.4 7.3 Effective

K8 174 82 15.2 5.5 Effective

K9 102 45 15 6.1 Effective

K10 106 50 11.1 5.8 Effective

From the table above, it can be concluded that the

systematic desensitization technique is effective to

overcome anxiety of guidance and counseling study

program students in facing their undergraduate thesis.

6 DISCUSSION

From the result of data description about student

anxiety in facing undergraduate thesis before

treatment using systematic desensitization technique,

there were 10 students of the high criteria of anxiety

becoming the respondents based on observation,

interview and anxiety scale. There is a decrease in

anxiety faced by students after the treatment using

systematic desensitization technique.

Thus, it can be said that students are experiencing

some symptoms such as tension, discomfort,

pessimistic, depressed and not relaxed before the

treatment. These symptoms are the accumulation of

anxiety faced by students. systematic desensitization

technique can be one strategy in overcoming anxiety

faced by students in completing the final task.

The systematic desensitization technique is said

to be effective when the technique is able to calm a

client from tension.The trick is to teach the client to

relax, ask the client to tell the problem, identify the

problematic behavior, clarify the problematic

behavior, identify the events that initiated the

problematic behavior, identify the events that

accompany the problematic behavior, identify the

intensity of problematic behavior, identify the client's

feelings when telling the problematic behavior,

summarize the client’s confession, find the core of the

problem, identify the points of interest in the

counselee's life, motivate the counselee and identify

the counselee's social relationship.

7 CONCLUSION

This research provides strategy alternatives on

overcoming anxiety problems faced by students in

completing their undergraduate thesis. The results

show that systematic desensitization technique is

effective to reduce students anxiety in facing

undergraduate thesis. Effectiveness is illustrated in

the results of pre-test and post-test.

8 FUTURE WORK

This research can be the basis in the development of

other techniques to overcome the problem so as to

provide various alternatives to counselors in

overcoming various problems of their counselee.

Future researchers will develop other techniques in

their research but keeping the focus on behavior can

disrupt individual development. Individuals in their

lives always experience changes.

BICESS 2018 - Borneo International Conference On Education And Social

140

Changes that occur in individuals often create

obstacles that lead to problems within them, therefore

a proper strategy is required in overcoming these

obstacles.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researchers would like to express their deep sense

of gratitude to the faculty of teacher training and

education of mulawarman university for the support

and assistance in this research.

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Dewi. I. 2006. Anxiety Disorder:Dapat di Alami Pula oleh

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