Test anxiety spares behavioral performance but alters ERP response in working memory updating

Individuals with high test anxiety may invest more cognitive effort than individuals with low test anxiety when performing working memory updating tasks. In contrast, when task demand increases, these compensatory strategies are not successful, and updating is more likely to be impaired. Therefore, test anxiety exerts minimal effects on updating when task demands are relatively low but becomes increasingly detrimental as task demands increase. However, few studies have explored these issues. In Experiment 1, we used n-back tasks across various difficulty levels (0-back, 1-back, 2-back, 3-back) to compare behavioral performance (RTs, d-prime) between individuals with high and low test anxiety. In Experiment 2, we used ERP measures to compare neurophysiological differences between individuals with high and low test anxiety when completing the more challenging 2-back and 3-back tasks. Both experiments showed that test anxiety did not significantly affect behavioral performance, irrespective of task difficulty. ERP data from Experiment 2 showed reduced P3b amplitude while completing both the 2-back and 3-back tasks for individuals with high test anxiety, compared to those with low test anxiety. In conclusion, individuals with high test anxiety demonstrate impaired updating, marked by reduced cognitive engagement and unsuccessful use of compensatory strategies. Our findings show that test anxiety alters neurophysiological processes involved in working memory updating, as indicated by ERP changes, while behavioral performance remains intact.