Who Conducted the Study?

The research was conducted by Bilge Kalanlar and Nilgün Kuru Alıcı, both from the Department of Public Health Nursing at Hacettepe University, Turkey.

Where and When Was the Study Done?

• The study was conducted in a public middle school in Ankara, Turkey.
• It was carried out between April and May 2022.

Why Was This Study Done? (Objective of the Study)

Many 8th-grade students in Turkey face high stress and anxiety due to an important centralized exam that decides their high school placement. This stress affects their mental well-being, academic performance, and even their physical health.

The study aimed to find out:

1. Does Laughter Yoga reduce test anxiety among 8th-grade students?
2. Does Laughter Yoga lower educational stress in students?

Laughter Yoga is a simple practice combining laughter exercises, breathing techniques, and playful activities. Researchers wanted to see if this fun and easy activity could help students feel less anxious and stressed about exams.

How Was the Study Done? (Study Protocol & Methodology)

✅ Type of Study:

• Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) – A high-quality experiment where students were randomly divided into two groups:
  • Intervention Group (32 students) → Practiced Laughter Yoga.
  • Control Group (32 students) → Did not do Laughter Yoga.

✅ Selection of Participants:

• 64 students from 8th grade were selected.
• Students were randomly assigned to either the Laughter Yoga group or the control group to ensure fairness.

✅ Laughter Yoga Sessions:

• The Laughter Yoga group attended sessions twice a week for 6 weeks.
• Each session lasted 35-40 minutes and included:
  • Clapping and warm-up exercises
  • Deep breathing techniques
  • Playful laughter exercises (e.g., Lion Laughter, Milkshake Laughter)
  • Relaxation meditation at the end

✅ Measurement Tools (Before & After the Experiment):

1. Westside Test Anxiety Scale → Measured students' test-related anxiety.
2. Educational Stress Scale → Measured students' overall school-related stress.

Before starting the Laughter Yoga program, all students took these tests (pre-test). After 6 weeks, they took the same tests again (post-test) to see if there were any improvements.

What Did They Find? (Outcome of the Study)

After 6 weeks of Laughter Yoga, students in the intervention group showed significant improvements compared to those in the control group:

📉 Reduced Test Anxiety

• Before Laughter Yoga: 34.40
• After Laughter Yoga: 32.46
  🔹 Anxiety dropped by a large margin, meaning students felt calmer about tests.

📉 Reduced Educational Stress

• Before Laughter Yoga: 45.90
• After Laughter Yoga: 38.50
  🔹 Students felt less overwhelmed by school workload and expectations.

✅ Key Takeaway:
Laughter Yoga successfully reduced both test anxiety and educational stress among 8th graders. This suggests that schools should consider including Laughter Yoga in their curriculum to help students manage stress in a fun and natural way.

Final Conclusion & Recommendations

• Laughter Yoga is a simple, non-medical, and effective way to reduce stress and anxiety in students.
• Schools should introduce Laughter Yoga programs to create a happier and more relaxed learning environment.
• Parents and teachers can also encourage children to practice laughter exercises at home to help them deal with academic pressure.

Why Does This Matter?

Students today face high academic pressure, which can harm their mental and physical health. This study proves that a simple, fun, and cost-free activity like Laughter Yoga can make a big difference in reducing stress and helping students perform better in school.