Mild test anxiety influences neurocognitive performance among African Americans and European Americans: Identifying interfering and facilitating sources.

Abstract

The current study examined ethnic/racial differences in test-related anxiety and its relationship to neurocognitive performance in a community sample of African American (n = 40) and European American (n = 36) adults. The authors hypothesized the following: (a) Test-anxiety related to negative performance evaluation would be associated with lower neurocognitive performance, whereas anxiety unrelated to negative evaluation would be associated with higher neurocognitive performance. (b) African American participants would report higher levels of anxiety about negative performance evaluation than European Americans. (c) European Americans would report higher levels of anxiety unrelated to negative performance evaluation. The first two hypotheses were supported: Ethnic/racial differences in test-taking anxiety emerged such that African Americans reported significantly higher levels of negative performance evaluation, which was associated with lower cognitive performance. The third hypothesis was not supported: African Americans and European Americans reported similar levels of test-anxiety unrelated to negative evaluation.

Group differences in normal neuropsychological test performance for older non-Hispanic White and Black/African American adults.

“…Other studies have shown that test anxiety among African American individuals is more likely to be negatively correlated with performance on neuropsychological measures compared with European Americans (Thames et al, 2015). Concern about how poor performance would be perceived by others and self-image were the primary sources on anxiety for African Americans in the study, whereas European Americans in the study experienced anxiety related to not being well prepared for the test (Thames et al, 2015). Even outside of the testing situation, higher levels of perceived discrimination-related chronic stress are associated with lower performance on tests of episodic memory and perceptual speed, even after controlling for vascular risk factors, age, sex, and education (Barnes et al, 2012).…”

Is Cognitive Test-Taking Anxiety Associated With Academic Performance Among Nursing Students?

“…8 A combination of the emotional and cognitive components has been widely studied using a variety of tools in many different student populations [9][10][11][12][13][14] ; however, the cognitive or worry component of test anxiety is the focus of this research.…”

The Influence of Math Anxiety, Math Performance, Worry, and Test Anxiety on the Iowa Gambling Task and Balloon Analogue Risk Task

“…In addition, the results of linear regressions suggested high levels of test anxiety were associated with more advantageous decision making on Block 2 of the IGT, during the transition from decision making under ambiguity to decision making under risk. By contrast, previous research has indicated test anxiety is typically associated with decreases in task performance (Ng & Lee, 2015;Thames et al, 2015). It is possible that individuals with high test anxiety (or high social concerns/stress) paid attention to signals of punishment/losses, leading to improved performance earlier on the IGT.…”

“…Test anxiety, of which math anxiety is a specific form, may affect the decision-making process. Test anxiety occurs in general testing or evaluative situations (Hembree, 1988), with high levels negatively affecting performance across a variety of tasks including neuropsychological tests (Chapell et al, 2005; Musch & Broder, 1999; Ng & Lee, 2015; Sarason, 1984; Seipp, 1991; Thames et al, 2015). Test anxiety can also negatively affect decision making, in that individuals with test anxiety sought out increasing amounts of redundant information prior to making a decision (Nichols-Hoppe & Beach, 1990).…”