Enhancing Professional Skills: Assessing the Impact of a Computer-Based Training Program on Interview Skills, Self-Efficacy, and Anxiety Levels in Psychology Students

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a computer-based interview skills training program for psychology students. Seventy-five participants (mean age = 22.80, SD = 3.45; 80% female) were randomly assigned to three groups: computer-based training (CT) (n = 25), text-based training (TT) (n = 25), and a no-training control group (NTC) (n = 25). Assessments of interview skills, self-efficacy, and anxiety were administered at baseline, post-test in week 1, and a 1-month follow-up. The CT and TT groups showed improved interview skills compared to the NTC group post-test. However, there was no clear superiority of one training approach over the other. The CT group's interview skill scores continued to increase, while the TT group maintained their scores at the 1-month follow-up compared to week 1. At the post-test and 1-month follow-up, the groups did not exhibit significant differences in self-efficacy and anxiety levels. The CT method having had parallel results with the TT method suggested promising outcomes for the use of the CT method as an alternative tool in skill development, and it could be said to have been open to progress. The implications, limitations, and recommendations for further studies were discussed.