Components of school anxiety: developmental trends and sex differences

Dunn's School Anxiety Questionnaire was administered to 104 third through eighth graders (Study I) and 122 eighth graders (Study II). Significant decrements in anxiety with increasing age were found for worry (but not emotionality), report card anxiety, and failure anxiety. In Study I girls scored significantly higher than boys on emotionality (but not worry) and test anxiety. Sex differences were greater in Study II, girls scoring consistently higher. In Study II a worry-emotionality questionnaire administered immediately preceding a final examination correlated highly with School Anxiety Questionnaire scores. Results are taken as generally supportive of the multidimensional approach to the study of school anxiety.