The Tapping Evidence Base
Test Anxiety & Students

Is Emotional Freedom Techniques Generalizable? Comparing Effects in Sport Science Students Vs. Complementary Therapy Students

Boath, E., Stewart, A., Carryer, A. · Energy Psychology Journal · 2013

Outcome study ⚖️ vs. cross-cohort comparison Preliminary ✓ Source-checked 📍 United Kingdom
In plain English. Researchers tested whether EFT for presentation anxiety works the same way across very different groups of students - younger sport science students, mostly male, and older complementary therapy students, all female. It did: both groups saw significant drops in anxiety, suggesting the effect isn't limited to any one type of student. This strengthens confidence that earlier positive EFT-for-presentation-anxiety findings weren't a fluke of one particular group.

What they found

Researchers tested whether EFT for presentation anxiety works the same way across very different groups of students - younger sport science students, mostly…

The study found a statistically significant reduction in anxiety for both cohorts of students, as well as a clinically significant reduction in anxiety for the sports science students, regardless of age or gender.

How the study worked

Who took part sport science students (younger, predominantly male) vs. complementary therapy students (all female, older)
What they did Participants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Compared with cross-cohort comparison
Measured with presentation anxiety

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people struggling with test anxiety & students who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: a randomized controlled design.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Populationsport science students (younger, predominantly male) vs. complementary therapy students (all female, older)
Comparison groupcross-cohort comparison
Outcome measurespresentation anxiety
JournalEnergy Psychology Journal
Year2013
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / Tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Boath, E., Stewart, A., & Carryer, A. (2013). Is Emotional Freedom Techniques Generalizable? Comparing Effects in Sport Science Students Vs. Complementary Therapy Students. Energy Psychology Journal. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2013.5.2.EB

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/Tapping. Explore more studies on Test Anxiety & Students

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Test Anxiety & Students ✓ Outcome study WHAT THEY FOUND The study found a statistically significantreduction in anxiety for both cohorts ofstudents, as well as a… Outcome study Boath · 2013 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com