Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi-high-stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control-value theory.

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.