| Hygiene of populated places | ISSN: 2707-0441 eISSN: 2707-045X |
Issue 75, 2025 - Pages: 124-130
STUDY OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO STANDARDIZED FINAL EXAMS OSCE AND SSQE-2 IN MEDICAL STUDENTS
O.S. Malyshevska1, M.I. Mizyuk1, Z.B. Suslyk1, I.T. Tokar1
1 Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University
ÓÄÊ: 159.9:613:37:612.8
SUMMÀRY:
Objective. To investigate psychophysiological responses of medical students under examination stress during the standardized final exams SSQE-2 and OSCE, and to identify gender differences and adaptive patterns of nervous system activity.
Materials and methods. The study involved 286 sixth-year medical students of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University divided into a control group (n=95) and those taking SSQE-2 (n=82) or OSCE (n=109). Computer-based tests of reaction to a moving object (RMO) and simple visual-motor reaction (SVMR) were used to assess psychomotor coordination and response speed. Testing was conducted before and after exams. Statistical analysis employed the Student’s t-test and Friedman’s test at p<0.05 significance level.
Results. A statistically significant reduction of reaction time (both RMO and SVMR) was observed after the exams in all groups (p<0.05), indicating mobilization of the central nervous system under moderate stress. The most pronounced improvement occurred after the SSQE-2 exam. Gender differences appeared only in baseline reaction rates, while the overall dynamics were similar in men and women. These findings confirm the “optimal stress” concept (Yerkes–Dodson law), where moderate stress enhances performance, whereas excessive stress may impair cognitive efficiency.
Conclusions. Moderate exam stress activates psychomotor responses and improves reaction speed, reflecting an adaptive physiological mechanism. The results emphasize the importance of stress-management strategies in medical education.
Materials and methods. The study involved 286 sixth-year medical students of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University divided into a control group (n=95) and those taking SSQE-2 (n=82) or OSCE (n=109). Computer-based tests of reaction to a moving object (RMO) and simple visual-motor reaction (SVMR) were used to assess psychomotor coordination and response speed. Testing was conducted before and after exams. Statistical analysis employed the Student’s t-test and Friedman’s test at p<0.05 significance level.
Results. A statistically significant reduction of reaction time (both RMO and SVMR) was observed after the exams in all groups (p<0.05), indicating mobilization of the central nervous system under moderate stress. The most pronounced improvement occurred after the SSQE-2 exam. Gender differences appeared only in baseline reaction rates, while the overall dynamics were similar in men and women. These findings confirm the “optimal stress” concept (Yerkes–Dodson law), where moderate stress enhances performance, whereas excessive stress may impair cognitive efficiency.
Conclusions. Moderate exam stress activates psychomotor responses and improves reaction speed, reflecting an adaptive physiological mechanism. The results emphasize the importance of stress-management strategies in medical education.
KEYWORDS:
Exam stress, medical students, psychophysiological reactions, reaction to moving object, reaction time, SSQE-2, OSCE.
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FOR CITATION:
Malyshevska OS, Mizyuk MI, Suslyk ZB, Tokar IT. Study of psychophysiological responses to standardized final exams OSCE and SSQE-2 in medical students. Hygiene of Populated Places. 2025;75:124-30. doi: https://doi.org/10.32402/hygiene2025.75.124