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A consciousness-sampling analysis of test anxiety and performance
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|December 1, 1984
Summary
This study found that test anxiety is more often an effect than a cause of poor performance. Anxiety measures did not predict test outcomes, suggesting cognitive models need reevaluation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Test anxiety is a common issue affecting student performance.
- Existing models propose cognitive interference or anxiety's impact on performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate cognitive-interference, reassertion, and reaction-to-performance models of test anxiety.
- To determine the relationship between test anxiety, cognitive processes, and academic performance.
Main Methods:
- 82 students completed the Test Anxiety Scale.
- State anxiety, thought content, and performance were measured before, during, and after an examination.
- Preparation for the test was also reported.
Main Results:
- Test Anxiety Scale scores predicted pre- and posttest anxiety but not performance.
- Anxiety during the test was inversely correlated with question-answering thought content.
- Anxiety was more an effect than a cause of poor performance in this naturalistic setting.
Conclusions:
- Results challenge the cognitive-interference model of test anxiety.
- Anxiety's role appears to be an outcome, not a primary driver, of poor test performance.
- Further research should explore the causal pathways in test anxiety.