The efficacy of an emotional role-play intervention versus a problem-solving approach on stress levels and affect experienced by college freshman

Many people experience negative feelings associated with life transition but choose not to seek therapy to alleviate stress-related symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine if role-play techniques, shown to be effective for clinical issues, could also reduce college students' stress and negative affect associated with the adjustment to their first year in college. The study also investigated if differences in emotional processing style moderated the effectiveness of the role-play intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to a role-play intervention, problem-solving intervention, or control group condition. Perceived stress, positive affect, and negative affect were measured before and after the intervention and two weeks following the intervention. The results indicated the role-play intervention was not effective in reducing stress or negative affect. The results also signified that individual differences in emotional processing ability may be a key ingredient in developing intervention strategies that are successful.