Research Source #3: Can Coloring Mandalas Reduce Anxiety?

Curry, N. A., BA, Kasser, T., PhD, & AATA, Inc. (2005). Can coloring mandalas reduce anxiety? In Knox College, Loyola University, Richter Memorial Fund, & Bumstead Fund, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 81–85). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ688443.pdf

As I continue to develop my capstone project, I considered the importance of the psychology behind adult’s usage of coloring books. I found a case study from 2005 where 84 undergraduate students’ anxiety levels were assessed in three different trials among three different groups. In the first round of trials, the students were administered what was known as the State Anxiety Inventory created by Charles D. Spielberger, Richard L. Gorsuch, and Robert E. Lushene in 1964. They were then asked to think about the most fearful time/experience in their lives and write about it for four minutes. They were then administered the Inventory again. In the last trial, the students were randomly given a mandala design1 (group 1), a plaid design2 (group 2), or a blank sheet of paper (group 3) and were instructed to color for 20 minutes before being administered the Inventory for the final time. From Trial 1 to Trial 2, each group’s mean anxiety levels significantly increased. However, between Trial 2 to Trial 3, groups 2 and 3’s anxiety levels were the lowest they’d been out of the three trials. The mandala and plaid coloring pages both had 324 areas of space to color while the blank sheet of paper had none. The study mentioned a previous study’s reasoning for the effectiveness of art therapy in the treatment of anxiety, “art therapy can help to organize and calm the “inner chaos” that is anxiety because one is allowed to make sense of the confusion of daily life and to communicate without having to find the perfect words (Grossman (1981)).” (Curry et al., 2005) 

In terms of the progress I’ve made on my capstone project, I am striving to recreate a similar effect in my puzzle book. I’m using a font choice and effects that are reminiscent of coloring outside the lines, which some of us may have done as a child.  I thought this article was perfect to use since it studied the anxiety levels of undergraduate students in 2005. Over 20 years later, I believe anxiety levels may be higher than that featured in the study because of student’s commitments, expectations, and career trajectory. Within Bellarmine University, there are countless combinations of majors and minors for incoming and current students. I think the combination of physical and online activities in my project can help potential students discern their field of study. In the Design, Arts, and Technology program alone, it can be difficult to choose the accompanying major. Since I am finishing the communication route, I think a short summary of each course with a related activity serving as an example of what the course is about reflects on my educational experiences and could empower an incoming student to follow a similar route. I think this book also serves as a resource to current students who may need a break or supplemental material to aid in their undergraduate experience. 

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