Response Time and Test Anxiety

1974 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigmund Tobias ◽  
John J. Hedl ◽  
Nelson J. Towle
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Response Latencies ◽  
High Anxious ◽  
Latency Analysis ◽  
High Test ◽  
And Task

This study sought to test the interpretation that high test-anxiety students performed more poorly on difficult material because they divided their attention between personally relevant and task-relevant concerns more than did low-anxiety individuals. It was reasoned that such division of attention ought to require more time for high-anxious students on difficult items and hence result in longer response latencies. A mathematical test containing both easy and difficult items was administered to 80 students on computer terminals. Results indicated that high-anxious students performed more poorly on the difficult items than low-anxious students. High-anxious students had higher levels of state anxiety during the testing than the low-anxious students. The latency analysis, however, failed to confirm the hypotheses.

Role of Model's Affect in Test Anxiety

1980 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 956-958
Author(s):  
David R. Olson ◽  
Robert S. Schlottmann
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
And Performance ◽  
State Scale ◽  
High Test ◽  
And Task

Thirty high test-anxious and 30 low test-anxious undergraduate females were exposed to either an anxious model, a non-anxious model or no model before performing on a spatial visualization task. The STAI A-State scale was also given before and after performance to determine the effects of model conditions and task performance on state anxiety levels. Subjects were then asked to evaluate their performance. Highly test-anxious subjects performed more poorly, reported higher levels of anxiety, and evaluated their performance more negatively than low test-anxious subjects. Type of model had no differential effect on the anxiety level and performance of subjects. Thus, the vicarious effects of a model may sometimes be superceded by task demands even on highly test-anxious subjects.

Effects of Test Anxiety and Sex of Subject on Neuropsychological Test Peformance: Finger Tapping, Trail Making, Digit Span and Digit Symbol Tests

1983 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 923-929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest L. Chavez ◽  
Gregory M. Trautt ◽  
Allan Brandon ◽  
James Steyaert
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Digit Symbol ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Finger Tapping Test ◽  
High Test

To determine the effects of anxiety and sex on various neuropsychological tests, 28 male and 28 female non-impaired, high and low test-anxious subjects were given the Finger Tapping, Trail Making (Forms A and B), Digit Span, and Digit Symbol tests. Sex significantly affected only the Finger Tapping Test; females made significantly fewer taps. High test-anxious subjects reported an increase in posttest state anxiety. However, test anxiety did not significantly affect performance.

Effects of state anxiety and task difficulty on computer-assisted learning.

1969 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 343-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold F. O'Neil ◽  
Charles D. Spielberger ◽  
Duncan N. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
State Anxiety ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Learning ◽  
And Task

Test anxiety, evaluative stress, and susceptibility to distraction from threat

2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund Keogh ◽  
Christopher C. French
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Specific Trait ◽  
Selective Search ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
High Test ◽  
Specific Susceptibility

Examinations are perhaps one of the main methods of assessment in education. Unfortunately, there are some individuals who are so fearful of such events that performance is impaired. Test anxiety is believed to be the trait that predisposes individuals to react negatively to examinations and tests. One way in which it is believed that test anxiety affects performance is by increasing susceptibility to distraction from task‐irrelevant material. However, few studies have directly investigated this impairment. An experiment was therefore conducted to investigate susceptibility to distraction in high and low test‐anxious students. The task used was based on one developed by Mathews, May, Mogg and Eysenck (1990), which distinguishes between focused attention and selective search. In order to determine whether a specific susceptibility to distraction exists, the distractors were varied in terms of valence and relevance to examinations. Since test anxiety is a situation‐specific trait, an evaluation‐related stressor was used to trigger test‐anxious reactions. A specific susceptibility to distraction from threat was found amongst high test‐anxious participants who received the evaluation‐related stressor. However, this effect was only found when participants were using focused attention. This suggests that the disturbed performance often found to be associated with test anxiety might be due to an inability to ignore threatening material when attempting to focus attentional resources. These results are discussed in light of current theories of test anxiety and implications for educational practice. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of a Rational–Emotive Education Program on Heightened Anxiety Levels of Female Collegiate Gymnasts

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kevin Elko ◽  
Andrew C. Ostrow
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Sport Competition ◽  
High Anxious ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Rational Emotive ◽  
Rational Emotive Education ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Collegiate Gymnasts ◽  
And Performance

This study examined the effects of a Rational-Emotive education program on the competitive state anxiety levels and performance of female collegiate gymnasts who were identified as anxiety prone. The gymnasts (n=6) were participants on a Division I gymnastic team during the 1988–89 season. The high-anxious gymnasts were distinguished from their teammates via the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1983) and the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (Martens, 1977) and were interviewed by the investigator prior to competition. They ranged from 17 to 22 years of age (M=19.25 yrs). Additionally, this study analyzed the effects of the education program on performance and thought listening (positive vs. negative self-talk). The results revealed that the Rational–Emotive education program significantly decreased levels of cognitive anxiety in five of the six gymnasts. However, the influential effect of the program on somatic anxiety, performance, and thought listening was not significant.

Brief Research Report - Text Anxiety in Adolescents

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-32
Author(s):  
Neville J. King ◽  
Leesa Tinney ◽  
Angelique Mietz
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Clinical Interview ◽  
Research Report ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Text Anxiety ◽  
Report Text ◽  
High Test

ABSTRACTA large sample of adolescents were screened for test anxiety using the Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC). Subjects with low and high scores on the TASC were then compared in a structured clinical interview (Interview Schedule for Children, ISC). The high test anxious adolescents showed a significantly greater preponderance of disorders, particularly anxiety disorders. We argue that these findings have implications for counsellors and psychologists working in school settings.

scholarly journals The Moderator Effect of Test Anxiety in the Relationship between Test Expectancy and the Retention of Prose

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 961-971
Author(s):  
Alexander E. Minnaert
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Retention Test ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Moderator Effect ◽  
Test Expectancy ◽  
Anxious Group ◽  
High Test

The effect of test expectancy and test anxiety on the retention of prose is not yet profoundly examined in an ecologically valid learning context. The influence of test expectancy, test anxiety, and differences in intelligence on the retention of prose was addressed in the hypothesis that test anxiety would act as a moderator between test expectancy and memory retention of prose. Also examined was whether this relation would still be valid if differences in general intelligence were controlled. University freshmen ( N = 292) participated. Analysis indicated that test anxiety acted as a moderator between test expectancy and prose memory performance, even after controlling for differences in general intelligence. The low and high test-anxious group expecting a retention test seemed to profit from positive arousal elicited by the expectedness of a retention test. The high test-anxious group not expecting a retention test performed in a rather detrimental way on a retention test given negative arousal elicited by the unexpectedness of a retention test. Implications for further research are elaborated and discussed.

Test Anxiety, Reading Rate and Task Experience

1966 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 303-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith M. Gifford ◽  
Albert R. Marston
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Reading Rate ◽  
Task Experience ◽  
And Task

An Analytical Investigation of Instructions Designed to Elicit Test Anxiety

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 283-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kilby Long ◽  
David W. Bessemer
Keyword(s):  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
English Word ◽  
Analytical Investigation ◽  
Performance Decrement ◽  
Reliable Performance ◽  
High Test ◽  
Three Components

Components of motivating instructions typically used to elicit performance decrements in high test-anxious Ss were investigated to determine whether: (a) the mention of a test, (b) identifying the test as an intelligence measure, or (c) suggesting evaluation in relation to a peer-group is primarily responsible for the observed decrement. High and low test-anxious Ss were given 12 paired-associated lists of common English word pairs, and experimental instructions between the 8th and 9th lists. Analyses of post-instruction changes in PA anticipation responses showed significant differences only between the instruction containing all three components and the control condition. The magnitude of the reliable performance decrement produced by the instructions was inversely related to Ss' level of performance before the instructions were given, and no decrement occurred for most Ss at the highest levels of pre-instructional proficiency. Increased emphasis might well be given to the analysis of effects of test anxiety on changes in individual performance.

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