The British journal of educational psychology · 2026
Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi-high-stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control-value theory.
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Zarra-Nezhad Maryam, Holopainen Teemu, Räsänen Pekka, Laakso Mikko-Jussi, Alanko Katarina
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Exams are a common source of emotions in adolescence, requiring regulation for performance and well-being. Psychological flexibility (PF), the ability to stay open to difficult thoughts and feelings while pursuing meaningful goals, and psychological inflexibility (PI), involving avoidance and self-criticism, represent adaptive and maladaptive regulation styles that remain understudied in adolescence.
AIMS: We examined whether PF/PI is associated with adolescents' emotional trajectories during a semi-high-stakes mathematics examination and whether they differ by gender or mathematics performance.
SAMPLE: Participants were 694 Finnish Year 8-9 students (48.7% girls).
METHODS: Before the examination, students completed the Children's Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (CPFQ) and reported their happiness, relaxation, frustration and boredom across seven phases of the examination. Linear mixed-effects models estimated emotional trajectories and their associations with PF factors (Committed Action and Awareness; Acceptance and Defusion; Fusion and Self-Judgement), gender and mathematical performance.
RESULTS: Happiness and relaxation declined during the examination and recovered afterward, whereas frustration and boredom increased. Committed Action and Awareness was associated with greater happiness and phase-specific variations in frustration, while Acceptance and Defusion were associated with higher relaxation and a stronger late-exam rebound. Greater PI (i.e. lower Fusion and Self-Judgement) was linked with lower positive and higher negative emotions. Higher mathematical performance was associated with greater happiness and relaxation, and with lower boredom. A gender interaction showed that boys with high PI reported greater boredom.
CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening PF skills, particularly acceptance, defusion and value-driven action, may help adolescents manage examination stress, sustain engagement and reduce boredom in academic settings.
AIMS: We examined whether PF/PI is associated with adolescents' emotional trajectories during a semi-high-stakes mathematics examination and whether they differ by gender or mathematics performance.
SAMPLE: Participants were 694 Finnish Year 8-9 students (48.7% girls).
METHODS: Before the examination, students completed the Children's Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (CPFQ) and reported their happiness, relaxation, frustration and boredom across seven phases of the examination. Linear mixed-effects models estimated emotional trajectories and their associations with PF factors (Committed Action and Awareness; Acceptance and Defusion; Fusion and Self-Judgement), gender and mathematical performance.
RESULTS: Happiness and relaxation declined during the examination and recovered afterward, whereas frustration and boredom increased. Committed Action and Awareness was associated with greater happiness and phase-specific variations in frustration, while Acceptance and Defusion were associated with higher relaxation and a stronger late-exam rebound. Greater PI (i.e. lower Fusion and Self-Judgement) was linked with lower positive and higher negative emotions. Higher mathematical performance was associated with greater happiness and relaxation, and with lower boredom. A gender interaction showed that boys with high PI reported greater boredom.
CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening PF skills, particularly acceptance, defusion and value-driven action, may help adolescents manage examination stress, sustain engagement and reduce boredom in academic settings.