Test anxiety impairs filtering ability in visual working memory: Evidence from event-related potentials

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Attentional control theory posits that high anxiety correlates with impaired inhibitory control, particularly with distractors under high cognitive load.
• While test anxiety research is extensive, the specific working memory (WM) filtering capabilities of individuals with high test anxiety (HTA) remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the working memory (WM) filtering abilities of individuals with high test anxiety (HTA) compared to those with low test anxiety (LTA).
• To examine how cognitive load and distractor threat influence WM filtering in HTA and LTA individuals.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted using electrophysiological measures (contralateral delay activity amplitude) and behavioral data (K score).
• Experiment 1 used neutral distractors under varying cognitive loads (low vs. high).
• Experiment 2 used threatening distractors under varying cognitive loads.

Main Results:

• HTA participants showed impaired distractor filtering under high load with neutral distractors, while LTA participants filtered better under high load.
• HTA participants demonstrated significant deficits in filtering both neutral and threatening distractors across load conditions.
• LTA participants successfully filtered both neutral and threatening distractors.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with HTA exhibit generalized deficits in working memory filtering, particularly under high cognitive load and when faced with threatening stimuli.
• Findings suggest that attentional control deficits in HTA are more pervasive than previously understood, impacting filtering regardless of distractor type or load.
• Low test anxiety (LTA) individuals demonstrate robust working memory filtering capabilities across different conditions.