Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi‐high‐stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control‐value theory
- 1Turku Research Institute of Learning Analytics, Faculty of Science University of Turku Turku Finland
- 2Epilepsia Helsinki, Department of Pediatric Neurology HUS Helsinki University Hospital Helsinki Finland
Abstract
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.
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BibTeX
@article{zarranezhad2026psychological,
title = {{Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi‐high‐stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control‐value theory}},
author = {Maryam Zarra‐Nezhad and Teemu Holopainen and Pekka Räsänen and Mikko‐Jussi Laakso and Katarina Alanko},
journal = {The British Journal of Educational Psychology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1111/bjep.70110},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.70110},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Psychological flexibility and emotional trajectories during a semi‐high‐stakes mathematics exam: Integrating acceptance and commitment therapy with control‐value theory
AU - Maryam Zarra‐Nezhad
AU - Teemu Holopainen
AU - Pekka Räsänen
AU - Mikko‐Jussi Laakso
AU - Katarina Alanko
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/21
JO - The British Journal of Educational Psychology
DO - 10.1111/bjep.70110
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.70110
AB - 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.
SN - 0007-0998
SN - 2044-8279
ER -