The purpose of this study was to measure the immediate effects Tapping or the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) had on stress. Addressing the issue at hand and showing self-compassion, then tapping on certain points, or meridians, while repeating positive affirmations sends signals to the amygdala, creating a calming effect. The participants (N = 56) were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. In the experimental group, participants went through the tapping process and repeated positive affirmations. In the control group, the participants tapped on non-amygdala stimulating points and repeated the same script in order to see if there was a placebo effect. In both groups, pre and post stress tests were distributed. I hypothesized that tapping/EFT would cause a more significant reduction in the experimental group than the control group. The results indicate that tapping will reduce stress symptoms more significantly than tapping on points that are not connected to meridians though there was a minor placebo effect in some participants as well.
