Effects of test anxiety on performance, worry, and emotionality in naturally occurring exams

Abstract

Test performance and reported anxiety levels of high and low test-anxious subjects taking either a regular exam or an exam containing brief, written relaxation instructions were compared. A consistent main effect for test anxiety was found; high test-anxious subjects performed more poorly and reported greater worry and emotionality than did low test-anxious subjects. Effects for the relaxation manipulation were found only on the second of three exams where the high anxious subjects receiving the relaxation exam format reported less worry than the high anxiety-regular exam group. Results provide greater external validity for the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS). Sarason (1957Sarason ( , 1959Sarason ( , 1961Sarason ( , 1963 has shown that subjects scoring high on the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) obtain lower scores on aptitude and classroom tests than subjects scoring lower on the TAS. Sarason (1972) and Wine (1971) have interpreted this performance deterioration in terms of selective attention. They postulate that evaluative stress elicits higher levels of interfering "state" anxiety such that the highly anxious spend greater portions of their time focused on heightened self-preoccupation and physiological arousal, a process which directs time away from efficient task solution. Two recent laboratory studies (Deffenbacher, in press; Sarason & Stoops, in press) have supported this attentional interpretation by showing that highly anxious subjects under evaluative stress performed more poorly, spent less time on task, and reported higher levels of worry, cognitive distraction, and emotionality than either the highly anxious under reassuring conditions or than the less anxious under evaluative stress. NO studies, however, were found in which attentional predictions were evaluated in more naturalistic settings.The present study was designed to assess further the external validity of the TAS by evaluating the predictions of attentional theory in naturally occurring classroom exams. Additionally, this study investigated the potentiality of brief written relaxation instructions for improving performance and reducing anxiety of the highly anxious. Performance, worry, and emotionality levels were compared for high and low test-anxious subjects taking either the regular exam or the experimental, relaxation format. It was predicted that in the normal exam condition the highly anxious would perform more poorly and would report greater worry and emotionality than their less anxious classmates. METHOD SubjectsA project investigating reactions to testing was announced to 193 students in a sophomore level psychology of human sexuality class. Students were informed that they would receive an additional 5 points toward their course grade if they completed four anxiety questionnaires during the term. Of the 172 (104 females and 'Portions of this research were funded by a grant to the senior author from the Faculty Council Committee for Research, Graduate School, Colorado State University.2The authors are grateful to Tom Michaels and Ilarleen Sta...

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