Cultural Factors

The research article does not explicitly study cultural factors. Instead, it assumes a universal application of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and anxiety symptoms. The primary cultural context is an implicit one: the individualistic, self-reliant culture of American college students. The study neglects to consider how collectivist cultures might express or cope with anxiety, or how cultural stigma around mental health could impact the effectiveness of the intervention. The study’s focus on individual cognition overlooks the role of family and community in the mental health of many cultures.

Research Question(s)

The main research question is: “Is a short-term cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention effective in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in college-aged students?” A secondary, and unstated, question is whether the results are generalizable to other populations, which the study’s design fails to answer.

Research Methods

The study uses a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. Participants were assigned to either a CBT intervention group or a waitlist control group. The primary method involves pre- and post-intervention self-report surveys to measure anxiety levels. This method, while standard in psychology, is limited by its reliance on self-reporting and its inability to capture the nuances of cultural expressions of distress.