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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Test anxiety is a combination of physiological over-arousal, tension and somatic

symptoms, along with worry, dread, fear of failure, and catastrophizing, that occur before or

during test situations. It is a physiological condition in which an individual experiences extreme

stress, anxiety, and discomfort during and/or before taking a test. Anxiety causes barriers to

learning and performance of the students. Research suggests that high levels of emotional

distress have a direct correlation to reduced academic performance. Test anxiety can have

broader consequences, negatively affecting a student's emotional and behavioural development,

as well as their feelings about themselves and school and sometimes lead to discouragement to

study. Inferior performance arises not because of intellectual problems or poor academic

preparation, but because testing situation creates a sense of threat for those experiencing test

anxiety.

The difference in performance of a high-anxious test taker compared to a low-anxious

test taker is largely due to the difference in their ability to focus on the tasks required. A low-

anxious test taker is able to focus greater attention on the tasks required of them while taking the

test, while a high-anxious test taker is focused on their internal self, and the anxiety they are

feeling. Anxious test takers do not perform adequately on the test as their attention is divided

between themselves and the test. Therefore, students with high test anxiety are unable to focus

their full attention on the test. This is the reason why researchers conduct this study to be able to

know the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. In this way, empirical
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data will be provided and serve as basis for designing psychological interventions to help

students deal with anxiety and optimize their academic performance.

Review of Literature

Literature is reviewed in relation to test anxiety. A test is any measurement that yields

quantitative data. Anxiety generally is a feeling of mingled dread and apprehension about the

future without a specific cause for such fear, while test anxiety is a more specific phenomenon in

which a graded test is the source of fear. The specific nature of this fear is that one will score low

on the test at hand.

George Mandler and Seymour Sarason (1952), developed the theory that anxiety present

in testing situations is an important determinate of test performance. Individuals that become

highly anxious during tests typically perform more poorly on tests than low-test anxious persons,

especially when tests are given under stressful evaluative conditions such as a post-secondary

exam.

Test Anxiety: Worry and Emotionality

Psychologists Liebert and Morris (1967) originally attributed test anxiety to two main

components: worry and emotionality. Worry refers to cognitive factors, such as negative

expectations or feelings of inadequacy, and emotionality refers to the physical symptoms, such as

increased heart rate, muscle tension, or butterflies. Both are aversive elements that can create

anxiety, but it is the cognitive factors that have the strongest connection to performance.

Sharma, and Sud (1990) found that female students experience higher levels of test

anxiety than do males irrespective of cultural background. The study involved students from
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four Asian cultures. The conclusion drawn from these findings was that a major causal factor

involved in the gender-related differences in test anxiety among students was a greater role

expectation conflict among females than among males.

Zahhar, and Hocevar (1991) also examined test anxiety among students in Brazil, Egypt,

and the United States. The study found that test anxiety in all three cultures was higher among

female students than among male students. Reported, however, that the gender differences in

relation to test anxiety were more pronounced in both Brazil and Egypt than in the United States.

Cultural differences related to the perceived importance of the consequences associated with

superior performance in school in both Brazil and Egypt, as opposed to the United States, were

cited as explanations for the variations. Whereas poor or sub-standard academic performance in

high school in the United States seldom precludes college or university attendance, poor or sub-

standard academic performance in high school in both Brazil and Egypt almost always ends an

individual's academic career.

The literature generally indicates that higher levels of text anxiety are experienced by

female high school students than by male high school students. Higher expectations of role

conflict among female high school students frequently are offered as one explanation for this

phenomenon.

Pintrich and de Groot (1990) found that test anxiety was one of the best predictors of

academic performance among students, with higher levels of test anxiety were associated with

lower levels of academic performance. In contrast, Smith, Michael, and Hocevar (1990)

examined the effects of test anxiety on the academic performance of students in three

performance contextsverbal, figural, and mathematical. In this study, the subjects were divided
 4

into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was given test-taking instructions

designed to induce higher levels of test anxiety, while the control group was provided with test-

taking instructions designed to induce lower levels of test anxiety. The results of the experiment

found that only mathematical performance was adversely affected within the experimental group

in comparison with the performance of control group. Hagtvet (1991) also found that

mathematical performance was affected by test anxiety to a greater extent than test anxiety

affected performance in other academic areas. Based on these findings, it was concluded that

personality characteristic most likely to hurt academic performance was a high fear of failure.

Test Anxiety Conceptualization

According to McDonald (2001), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV states that test

anxiety is mainly a concern over negative evaluation (DSM-IV: American Psychiatric

Association (APA), 1994) and falls into the classification of social phobia. Social phobias are

defined as a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which

embarrassment may occur.

The fear of evaluation which is important to test anxiety, is defined by Liebert and

Morris (1967; McDonald, 2001), as having two distinct components. The first component is the

cognitive component, which is the mental activity that revolves around the testing situation and

its possible effects on a person. The word worry, in the context of test anxiety research, is

defined as the feeling of distress, concern and anxiety over impending evaluative events

(Flett&Blankstein, 1994; Zeidner, 1998). Initially, Liebert and Morris (1967) defined worry as

any cognitive expression of concern about ones own performance, such as pessimistic

expectations, obsession with performance, and possible outcomes, including self-criticism,

 5

overwhelming fear about failing grades, and absent-mindedness (Hambree, 1988; Berk & Nanda,

2006). As a result, individuals who are test-anxious become more obsessed with the implications

and consequences of failure to meet situational challenges rather than rationally focusing on

completing the task in an orderly manner (Sarason, 1986; Zeidner, 1998). Another element in test

anxiety involves autonomic arousal or emotionality. Emotionality is seen as a physiological

component of test anxiety whereby an individual experiences tense muscles, raised heart rate, the

feeling of sickness, dizziness, sweating, and shaking (McDonald, 2001).

Test anxiety is basically a strong emotional reaction that an individual experiences before

and during an examination (Akca, 2011). Usually, situations where individuals are allowed

personal evaluation is termed an evaluative situation, which will potentially result in

performance efforts geared towards high standards that lead to high levels of performance. On

the other hand, when placed in an evaluative situation, distress regarding normative assessment,

comparative and competitive behaviours will lead to heightened anxiety and disrupt students

from focusing on doing what is necessary to successfully complete the test (Zeidner& Matthews,

2005; Van Yperen, 2007). Therefore, this is detrimental towards the performance and will erode

academic achievement by affecting the subjects mental health and academic life (Zeidner, 1998;

Rothman, 2004).

Various literatures have found that the self-perception of the test taker is a significant

consideration that determines whether individuals who take the tests believe that they are able to

pass the standards of the test. For example, the feeling of whether they are adequately prepared

for the exam, both perception of low self-efficacy and incompetence (Pekrun, 2006, Chamorro-

Premuzic, Ahmetoglu, &Eurnham, 2008; Bonaccio& Reeve, 2010; Putwain, Woods, &Symes,

2010), low competence beliefs that predicting failure on academic evaluations and, therefore,
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linked to the assessment of evaluations as threatening, and also motivations derived from the fear

of failure (Pekrunet al., 2007; Zeidner& Mathews, 2005; Elliot, 2005; Elliot &Pekrun,2007;

Putwain& Daniels, 2010). Additionally, the lack of confidence, striving for flawlessness and

setting excessively high performance standards or maladaptive perfectionism as well as low

scores in emotional stability (or neuroticism)(Zohar, 1998; Reeve et al., 2008; Blatt, 1995;

Spielberger, Gorsuch, &Lushene, 1970; Bonaccio& Reeve, 2010) are all caused by test anxiety.

In this context, peoples ideas about the self will come into play based on his or her beliefs

about their own characteristics, which might be perceived as state-like or trait-like.

Treatment approaches

One of the important concerns in test anxiety research is the reduction of test anxiety

levels. Many ways have been proposed to conceptualize the problem of test anxiety as well as

many ways in approaching its treatment. Treatment efforts were aimed at reducing the

physiological arousal through behavioral strategies during the early days of understanding test

anxiety in terms of a physiological or emotional experience. Subsequent treatments techniques

began to move toward the cognitive and combined methods (Ergene, 2003). Ergene (2003) found

that many treatments have been developed over time to treat test anxiety. The treatments he

found were categorized to: (1). behavioural approaches, including desensitization procedure,

relaxation skills, biofeedback training, modeling skills, anxiety induction, training for how to

manage anxiety and so forth; (2). cognitive approaches such as rational emotive therapy,

cognitive restructuring methods; (3). cognitive-behavioral approaches like cognitive-behavioral

modification, stress-inoculation skills and (4). Skill-deficit methods including training for study

skills, training for test-taking skills, and approaches, which have combined both the cognitive

and skill-focused methods (Beck et al., 1996; Jones &Petruzzi, 1995; Kondo & Gifu, 1997;
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Onwuegbuzie& Daley, 1996; Ergene,2003). More recently, a method known as the Mind-based

cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is a clinical intervention program made for groups to lessen

cases of deterioration or reappearance of major depressive disorder (MDD) has been utilized for

different psychological problems including social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder (Piet

&Hougaard, 2011) and It may also possibly be used for the reduction of anxiety.

Ergene (2003) stated in his study that compound treatments, which combine skills,

focused approaches with behaviour or cognitive approaches were the most effective. In the study

done by However, Barrett, and Turner (2001; Gregor, 2005) few trials of universal and evidence

based programs for preventing anxiety in young people have been found to date. They defined

the concept of universal programs as interventions, which can be used for the all population, with

their risk status disregarded. The majority of research thus far is focused mainly on adult

contributors. Another of Ergenes (2003) assertion is that there is an intense demand for the

formation of helpful test anxiety reduction methods for primary, middle and high school students

as most of the current programs are designed for college and university students. Furthermore,

another factor that should be considered in the treatment of test anxiety as noted by Zeidner

(2007), is that research on anxiety interventions may be considerably benefited by the perception

of test-anxious individuals profile. Indeed, examining the related significant predictors of

anxiety make the test anxiety theories and approaches more comprehensible, which probably

lead to the development of the best anxiety-reduction methods (Reeve, Bonaccio& Charles,

2008).
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Academic Stressors

According to Thoits (1995). Academic stressors refer to any academic demands (e.g.,

environmental, social, or internal demands) that cause a student to adjust his or her behavior.

Academic stressors are natural events in a students life that affect students academic

performance and mental health.

There are some other academic stressors that are culturally specific. For instance, in

Chinese culture, the majority of academic stressors may come from excessive expectations and

demands from members of a group, such as family members. Most Chinese parents believe that

education is the best route for upward mobility, and childrens school success is a prime goal of

parenting. Since filial piety has been highly valued in Chinese culture, children strive to be high

achievers at school to demonstrate their filial piety. Children at a young age are socialized to be

sensitive to the judgment of significant others, especially parents or teachers. Not meeting the

expectations of significant others could potentially result in loss of face, loss of confidence and

support from ones family, school, and even the community. Consequently, high expectations and

demands from parents, teachers, school and society, and children themselves become the major

academic stressors in Chinese culture. For example, Zhang and Du (2005) examined a sample of

Chinese middle school students and found that the majority of academic stressors for Chinese

middle school students included teachers expectations, parents expectations, and peer

competition.
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Test Anxiety and the Level of Arousal

Horwitz and Cope (1986) define anxiety as the subjective feeling of tension,

apprehension, nervousness, and worry associated with an arousal of the autonomic nervous

system. However, some sort of benign arousal is crucial for better performance in any human

activity. Nonetheless, when this arousal becomes so excessive and interferes with performance in

the test, it becomes an indisposition that lowers achievement (Coon and Mittere, 2010). The

Yerkes-Dodson Law (1908) claims that human performance at any task varies with arousal in a

predictable parabolic curve. At low arousal, individuals are inactive and perform poorly. As

arousal rises, performance rises, too. Yet, there is a point after which increasing arousal actually

decreases performance.

Test Anxiety and Self-Esteem

Sapp (2014) discusses the different perspectives on the construct of tests anxiety, from

the early formulations of Mandler and Sarson (1952) which conceive test anxiety as a single

latent or underlying trait to Spielberger and Vaggs (1995) comprehensive theory of test anxiety

which specifies the interpersonal perceptions and cognitions, informational processing, retrieval

mechanisms and mediate the effects of worry and emotionality on performance (p. 92). Thus,

rather than being a unitary concept, test anxiety is a multidimensional construct: the different

dimensions of test anxiety show different relationships with several psychological constructs

such as interference, emotionality, fear of failure, lack of confidence, and self-esteem (Stoeber,

Feast, and Hayward, 2009). Self-esteem is about how one perceives their value to the world and

how valuable one thinks they are to others.

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Four-factor theory of test anxiety

Sarason (1984) expanded the test anxiety construct that went beyond worry and

emotionality. He described the construct of test anxiety as encompassing four factors: tension,

worry, bodily symptoms, and test irrelevant thoughts. Tension is described as the emotional

feelings that one experiences prior to or during an exam (e.g.,distress, uneasiness, anxiety,

feeling jittery). Worry is described as thoughts relative to exam performance (e.g., potential

failure, performance of others, consequences). Test-irrelevant thinking is described as thoughts

and concerns that divert the students attention away from the exam itself (e.g., irrelevant bits of

information that pop up, thoughts unrelated to the exam, thoughts about past events). Bodily

reactions are described as physiological symptoms just prior to or during an exam (e.g.,

headache, upset stomach, increased heart rate). Tension and bodily symptoms are considered as

part of emotionality, whereas worry and test-irrelevant thoughts are considered to be cognitive

processes.

Anxiety and Student Performance

Student anxiety has long been a topic of discussion amongst researchers. Some research

from the 1950s indicates a negative correlation between anxiety and academic performance and

other research that did not support that correlation. The researcher worked with students at

Brigham Young University to test the hypothesis that honors students with high academic ability

have less anxiety than honors students with lower academic ability (Robinson, 1966). The

academic ability of students was measured using the College Ability Test. To measure anxiety,

students took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales (MMPI) and Welshs

Anxiety Index (AI). All three of the assessments were given during college orientation. The
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scores of students who achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher during their first freshman semester were

used.

Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the first freshman semester were first divided

into two groups based on GPA. The high honors group consisted of students with a GPA of 3.8 or

higher. The honors group consisted of students with a GPA of 3.5 to 3.8. The high honors and

honors groups were further divided into three additional groups of high, middle, and low abilities

based on scores from the College Ability Test with students from the high and low groups being

used for the study. After reviewing some of the data, the groups were divided again based on

gender because of a significant difference between anxiety levels of male and female students.

Two of the scales of the MMPI measured anxiety, and several of the other scales

measured emotional disturbance. However, the reported AI scores had the most significant

difference between low and high achieving students with the results supporting the hypothesis.

Low ability honors students scores indicated a higher level of anxiety than high ability honor

students. However, the data did not show a significant difference between the mean MMPI

scores of honors students and the rest of the freshman population. The results were not

necessarily conclusive when comparing honors students to the general population. The

differences between the MMPI score means were up and down depending on the scale, and few

scores were statistically significant (Robinson, 1966).

State-trait test anxiety

According to Spielberger (1972) state anxiety may be conceptualized as a transitory

emotional state or condition of the human organism that varies in intensity and fluctuates over

time. The condition is characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of tension and

apprehension, and activation of the autonomic nervous system (Spielberger, 1972, p. 39). In a
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testing situation, state anxiety is conceptualized as a situation-specific form of test anxiety that

encompasses both worry and emotionality. It is characterized as an emotional state that a student

may experience during an evaluative situation (e.g., the anxious effect provoked by an exam;

Hong &Karstensson, 2002). A student may consciously experience nervousness, tension, worry,

disorganization, apprehension, fear, or even feel a sense of danger in response to physiological

arousal from the autonomic nervous system (e.g., increased heart rate, perspiration, dry mouth).

The emotional states are often accompanied by ruminating thoughts of failure and hopelessness.

State anxiety often fluctuates depending upon the extent of the students perceived threat created

by factors such as how well prepared the student was for the exam (e.g., amount of time

studying, studying the correct topics), the type of test questions (e.g., multiple choice, essay),

difficulty level of the test question (superficial versus deep knowledge), and individual

differences in personality characteristics.

Mathematics Anxiety and Gender Differences

A particular focus of the present study was gender differences and mathematics anxiety.

The studies concerning the relationship between gender and mathematics anxiety show different

results (Anglin, Pirson, & Langer). Some studies report that women have higher mathematics

anxiety than men (Baloglu&Koak, 2006). As Aiken (1970) pointed out no one would deny that

sex can be an important moderator variable in the prediction of achievement from measures of

attitude and anxiety. Specifically, Aiken (1970) stated that measures of attitude and anxiety may

be better predictors of the achievement of females than that of males.

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Williams (1991) investigated the relationship between test anxiety and academic

performance from a different perspective. Williams (1991) found that academic performance was

not a function of test anxiety, but rather that test anxiety was a manifestation of academic

performance. This conclusion is consistent with the argument that students may experience test

anxiety because of an awareness that they are not prepared to perform the tasks that will be

required of them on an examination. Williams (1991) concluded that high-achieving students

held few cognitive concerns about testing, while low-achieving students were characterized by

high-levels of test anxiety. The major methodological problem with the results of this study is

that the analyses of the measures academic achievement (the American College Testing

examination) and test anxiety (the Test Anxiety Inventory) performed by Williams (1991, pp. 51-

57) did not provide conclusive evidence of whether the chicken preceded the egg or whether the

reverse was true. While the researcher concluded that test anxiety was induced by prior low-

levels of academic achievement, the statistical support for this conclusion was not

overwhelming. What can be said with certainty of the Williams (1990, pp. 51-57) study is that

the study findings that high-levels of test anxiety are associated with lower-levels of academic

performance were generally consistent with the other reports in the literature concerning this

relationship.

Van Boxtel and Monks (1992) reported the results of an investigation wherein a

conclusion also was drawn to the effect that test anxiety is affected by academic performance to

a greater extent that the reverse relationship is true. This conclusion supports that drawn by

Williams. As was true with respect to the Williams (1990) study, however, a strong causal

relationship was not established by Van Boxtel and Monks (1992) to justify the conclusion that

test anxiety is primarily a manifestation of poor prior academic performance.

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According to their theories, test anxiety affects performance by undermining the retrieval

of relevant task-related information. During the tests, students suffering from test anxiety are

distracted by their worrisome thoughts about the outcomes of their performance. They frequently

engage in a discouraging internal dialogue that affects their cognitive processing abilities. These

students with high anxiety often possess a limited working memory capacity to help them

perform their tasks because a part of the brain is diverted to processing the worrisome thoughts.

Lee (1999) stated that studies have shown that individuals with high anxiety, compared to their

low test-anxiety counterparts, are unable to utilize their working memory at the same level of

accuracy or efficiency.

Test anxiety negatively affects students performance as revealed by the recent studies.

For instance, Barrows, Dunn and Lloyd (2013) found that a strong relationship between both test

anxiety and exam grades, and self-efficacy and exam grades. Further, multiple linear regression

analyses showed that exam grade could be predicted by test anxiety and self- efficacy level, and

that self-efficacy moderated the effects of anxiety.

According to Zakrakar (2008). High level of anxiety threatens individuals' mental and

physical health and has a negative effect on their personal, social, familial, occupational, and

educational performance One of the broadest research areas in recent years has been test anxiety

and its dimensions. Researches show that different types of disorders caused by anxiety have a

high frequency all over the world.

An acceptable level of test anxiety in students motivates them to work hard and provides

them with its positive consequences. Nowadays, test anxiety is more observed among students,

and it might be due to more prominent role of tests in educational system than some decades ago.
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This is the reason why about 10 million students at schools and about 15 to 20% of university

students in USA experience test anxiety (Chapel et al, 2005). Moreover, research shows that

older students feel more stressed than younger students and female students experience more

anxiety than male students (Ginter et al, 1982).

According to Bachman and Palmer (1996), test performance is attributed to test-taker and

test task characteristics. The test-taker qualities consist of (a) topical knowledge, (b) language

knowledge, (c) personal trait, (d) strategic competence, and (e) affective schemata. Of these

attributes, the former three interact with the latter two. The test-taker and test task traits have

effects on each other, and as a consequence, test performance results from these interactions.

Since our decisions or inferences based on test performance depend on these characteristics, it is

very important to know how these components affect test performance. Although these variables

all merit investigation, a central issue seems to be how personal traits influence test performance.

There are many types of personal attributes related to test performance (e.g., age, sex, nationality,

Bachman and Palmer, 1996), but one which is of great significance is test anxiety.

According to Zeidner (1998), test-anxiety is a multidimensional signs that can be

described as a group of phenomenological, physiological, and behavioral reactions to appear

with possible negative consequences or failure on an examination or similar evaluative situation.

Test-anxiety, especially worry has impact on academic performance, and working memory

(Eysenck, 2001). In addition, Sarason (1984) as cited in Keoghi, Bond, French, Richards and

Davis, 2004) found that test- anxiety decreases attention span, memory and concentration, then

leads to low academic performance. Masson, Hoyois, Pcadot, Nahama, Petit and Ansseau (2004)

found that high school students with high testanxiety had a poor school performance. Thus, test-
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anxiety contributed to academic achievement because of vulnerability to distraction and

interference experienced by the students.

Eysenck (2001) found that test-anxiety creates irrelevant thoughts, preoccupation, and

decreased attention and concentration thus, leads to academic difficulties. In addition, test-

anxiety is link to memory and can have effect on academic achievement, because both of them

disrupt attention and concentration. When attention and concentration are impaired, this will

disrupt memory and as a consequence will lead to low academic achievement (Chen, Li, 2000

and Sanders, 2001, cited in Needham, 2006).

Test Anxiety and Learning Disabilities Only a few studies have dealt with the

combination of test anxiety and learning disablities. Lancaster, Mellard, and Hoffman (2001)

reported that the greatest difficulties of students with LD was test anxiety, along with

concentration, distraction, frustration, remem- bering, and mathematics. Stevens (2001) found

that students with LD had higher levels of test anxiety com- pared to non-LD students. These

differences were mainly in test-irrelevant thinking. Different explanations of the connections

between test anxiety and LD were found by Swanson and Howell (1996). In a study of 82

adolescents, these researchers noted a significant positive relationship between test anxiety and

cognitive interference and a significant negative relationship between test anxiety and study

habits. Based on these results, they claimed that cognitive interference was the most powerful

predictor of test anxiety.

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Test Anxiety Conceptualization

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV states that test anxiety is mainly a concern over

negative evaluation (DSM-IV: American Psychiatric Association (APA), 1994) and falls into the

classification of social phobia. Social phobias are defined as a marked and persistent fear of

social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. (APA, 1995; McDonald,

2001). Test anxiety is basically a strong emotional reaction that an individual experiences before

and during an examination (Akca, 2011). Usually, situations where individuals are allowed

personal evaluation is termed an evaluative situation, which will potentially result in

performance efforts geared towards high standards that lead to high levels of performance. On

the other hand, when placed in an evaluative situation, distress regarding normative assessment,

comparative and competitive behaviors will lead to heightened anxiety and disrupt students from

focusing on doing what is necessary to successfully complete the test (Zeidner& Matthews,

2005; Van Yperen, 2007). Therefore, this is detrimental towards the performance and will erode

academic achievement by affecting the subjects mental health and academic life (Zeidner, 1998;

Rothman, 2004).

Components of Test Anxiety

The fear of evaluation which is important to test anxiety, is defined by Liebert and

Morris (1967; McDonald, 2001), as having two distinct components. The first component is the

cognitive component, which is the mental activity that revolves around the testing situation and

its possible effects on a person. The word worry, in the context of test anxiety research, is

defined as the feeling of distress, concern and anxiety over impending evaluative events

(Flett&Blankstein, 1994; Zeidner, 1998). Initially, Liebert and Morris (1967) defined worry as
 18

any cognitive expression of concern about ones own performance, such as pessimistic

expectations, obsession with performance, and possible outcomes, including self-criticism,

overwhelming fear about failing grades, and absent-mindedness (Hambree, 1988; Berk & Nanda,

2006). As a result, individuals who are test-anxious become more obsessed with the implications

and consequences of failure to meet situational challenges rather than rationally focusing on

completing the task in an orderly manner (Sarason, 1986; Zeidner, 1998). Another element in test

anxiety involves autonomic arousal or emotionality. Emotionality is seen as a physiological

component of test anxiety whereby an individual experiences tense muscles, raised heart rate, the

feeling of sickness, dizziness, sweating, and shaking (APA, 1995; McDonald, 2001).

For many years anxiety literature focused on these two components. However, some

studies with factor analytic methods have manifested different findings about test anxiety

components (Richardson, ONeil, Whitmore, & Judd, 1977; Zimmer, Hocevar, Bachelor,

&Meinke, 1992; Hong, 1999). As a result, current research tried to concentrate on more

components of test anxiety. For instance, Putwain, Connors, and Symes, (2010) stated that test

anxiety is comprised of several independent cognitive, physiological-affective and behavioural

facets. The cognitive facet alludes to the negative thoughts experienced by individuals during

tests and other evaluation encounters. These thoughts often involve self-deprecation like I am

going to fail this exam. The individuals perception of their physiological condition makes up

the other component, called the physiological affective component. This component manifests

itself by feelings of muscle tension, shaking, feeling sick and etc, and the last one, which is the

behavioural component, is expressed by the presence of poor study skills and test-taking

behaviors, and inattentiveness or distraction during the examinations.

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The Prevalence of Test Anxiety

It is not surprising that test situations evoke anxiety for many when the impact of tests on

ones life is considered, including the educational, vocational, emotional and other aspects

(Zeidner, 1998; Rothman, 2004). A meta-analytic study that examined Test Anxiety Inventory

data collected from 14 different countries was conducted by Seipp and Schwarzer in 1996. The

findings revealed that youth from Egypt, Jordan and Hungary experienced the highest levels of

test anxiety, while youth from China, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands had the lowest anxiety

levels (Bodas&Ollendick, 2005).

Currently, it is rather challenging to estimate the number of students who are faced with

test anxiety because of the lack of a large-scale epidemiological study (Zeidner, 1998). Previous

studies have reported an anxiety rate of 10% to 25% or 30% among elementary and secondary

school students (Hill, 1984; Nottelmann& Hill, 1977), although more recently, the anxiety rates

were found to be much higher than 33% among school children and adolescents affected

(Methia, 2004; Whitaker Sena, Lowe & Lee, 2007), and lately the approximation of 40% of

students have been mentioned (Huberty, 2009; Cassady, 2010; Salend, 2011). In this case,

Bradely et al., (2010) mentioned that these are serious information and would be a big challenge

for educators to know how to prepare students for examinations properly, which reflect their best

academic abilities and capabilities.

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Negative Consequences of Test Anxiety

The modern education system heavily utilizes tests as the main means of assessment,

evaluation and comparison. This, however, causes some students to be very distressed by the

negative experience f test taking that they are not able to reach their potentialities. The entire

examination experience for these students becomes excruciatingly painful, with their self-esteem

and motivation put under threat. Students who repeatedly experience test failures or low-test

performances despite putting in much effort commonly feel shame, stupidity, and incompetence

(Sarason, 1980; Rothman, 2004).

Majority of research have found that test anxiety involves many negative effects including

poor performance, low motivation, negative self-evaluation beliefs, and low concentration, as

well as an increase in school dropout rates and general anxiety (Hancock, 2001; Tobias, 1979,

King, Mietz, Tinney, &Ollendick, 1995; Whitaker Sena, Lowe & Lee, 2007). The effect of test

anxiety on motivation can also influence the success expectancy. Consequently, students with

higher test anxiety might minimize the success expectancys level and relegate significant

learning outcomes protectively (Bembennutty, 2008). Other negative connotations include low

self-esteem, reading difficulties and low math achievement, failing grades, disruptive classroom

behavior, negative thoughts about the school, and feelings of unease and fear, which is the result

of an extreme fear of failure (Bryan & Bryan, 1983; Peleg, 2009) as well as memory

interruption, particularly concerning phonological processing (Keogh & French, 2001; Peleg,

2009). The experience of test anxiety also slows down the mind by suppressing clear thought and

confusing it so that the problem-solving process becomes more complex (Balta, 1986; Kutlu,

2001, Akca, 2011). Additionally, anxiety causes detrimental effects to some somatic processes

which can lead to tachycardia, sweating, muscle tension, and also affected respiration. Aysan et
 21

al., (2001) asserted that stress felt from the test can have negative physiological effects to the

body like hypertension, coronary heart disease, respiratory distress syndrome and suppressed

immune system functioning.

To sum up, the students quality of life, whether it is psychological, emotional, physical

or academic is adversely affected by test outcomes. For instance, certain studies carried reports

that some students even consider suicide due to being preoccupied with the test (Keogh &

French, 2001; Rothman, 2004).

Potential Sources of Test Anxiety

Both the test situation and the test-taker can function as the source of test anxiety

(Zeidner, 1998; Bonaccio& Reeve, 2010). Several important domains of perceptions in the

testing situation that are probably encouraging anxiety have been identified by researchers. The

current literature regarding test anxiety suggests that previous experiences of test takers have

significantly influence on their perceptions, including the familiarity with the test subject, test

difficulty and finally the intention of applying test scores (e.g., the use of the test results to make

important decisions like job applications) (Anastasi, 1981; Pekrun et al., 2004; Reeve, Bonaccio,

& Charles, 2008; Bonaccio& Reeve, 2010). Various literatures have found that the self-

perception of the test taker is a significant consideration that determines whether individuals who

take the tests believe that they are able to pass the standards of the test. For example, the feeling

of whether they are adequately prepared for the exam, both perception of low self-efficacy and

incompetence (Pekrun, 2006, Chamorro-Premuzic, Ahmetoglu, &Eurnham, 2008; Bonaccio&

Reeve, 2010; Putwain, Woods, &Symes, 2010), low competence beliefs that predicting failure on
 22

academic evaluations and, therefore, linked to the assessment of evaluations as threatening, and

also motivations derived from the fear of failure (Pekrun et al., 2007; Zeidner& Mathews, 2005;

Elliot, 2005; Elliot &Pekrun,2007; Putwain& Daniels, 2010). Additionally, the lack of

confidence, striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards or

maladaptive perfectionism as well as low scores in emotional stability (or neuroticism)(Zohar,

1998; Reeve et al., 2008; Blatt, 1995; Spielberger, Gorsuch, &Lushene, 1970; Bonaccio& Reeve,

2010) are all caused by test anxiety. In this context, peoples ideas about the self will come into

play based on his or her beliefs about their own characteristics, which might be perceived as

state-like or trait-like.

Gender Group Differences

It is widely claimed that gender, which is connected to many developmental trends, affects

the growth and exposure of anxiety in evaluative encounters (Basso, Gallagher, Mikusa&Rueter,

2011). In the middle years of elementary school, gender differences in test anxiety start to appear,

and constantly female students tend to mention higher test anxiety levels compared to male

students since elementary school through high school and college (Hembree, 1988; Hill

&Sarason, 1966; Zeidner, 1998). The prevalence of anxiety disorders in women has clearly

increased, and compared to men are two times more likely to develop the disease

(Kinrys&Wygant, 2005; Pigott, 1999, 2003; Basso et al., 2011).

According to Hodge, McCormic, and Elliot (1997), for instance, explored the level of test

anxiety in a large group of adolescents as they approached their last exam. He found that most of

the students, especially girls, were encountering a high level of distress during this time, and
 23

variables like poor socio-economic condition and the perception of academic competence makes

them to be most vulnerable to these negative states. Cole, Truglio, and Peek (1999) in assertion

of aforementioned studies, found that female students mentioned elevated levels of anxiety and

depression and also devalue their academic competence, while male students showed a reversed

trend and overvalued their competency (Locker &Cropley, 2004). Consistent with previous

research, some other studies also showed that both female undergraduate and graduate students

experience more test anxiety than male counterparts in spite of having higher GPAs than male

students (Ginter et al., 1982; Hembree, 1988; Seipp, 1991; Zeidner, 1998; Chapell et al, 2005).

The question as to why females undergo higher test anxiety compared to males remains to

be unanswered. It is stated that women may become more concerned about their personal

inadequacies than men and as a result, experience more worry and discomfort in evaluative

conditions due to the increased degree of public self-consciousness. Furthermore, it has been

hypothesized that men and women perceive and react to the assessment in a different mode

(Lewis & College, 1987; Zeidner, 1998). However, Basso et al., (2011) have posited some other

contributing factors, including neurodevelopment, physiological, hormonal factors, and also

personal and societal burden, which seem to increase womens vulnerability to experience higher

anxiety than men.

Treatment approaches

One of the important concerns in test anxiety research is the reduction of test anxiety

levels. Many ways have been proposed to conceptualize the problem of test anxiety as well as

many ways in approaching its treatment. Treatment efforts were aimed at reducing the
 24

physiological arousal through behavioral strategies during the early days of understanding test

anxiety in terms of a physiological or emotional experience. Subsequent treatments techniques

began to move toward the cognitive and combined methods (Ergene, 2003).

Ergene (2003) found that many treatments have been developed over time to treat test

anxiety. The treatments he found were categorized to: (1). behavioural approaches, including

desensitization procedure, relaxation skills, biofeedback training, modeling skills, anxiety

induction, training for how to manage anxiety and so forth; (2). cognitive approaches such as

rational emotive therapy, cognitive restructuring methods; (3). cognitive-behavioral approaches

like cognitive-behavioral modification, stress-inoculation skills and (4). Skill-deficit methods

including training for study skills, training for test-taking skills, and approaches, which have

combined both the cognitive and skill-focused methods (Beck et al., 1996; Jones &Petruzzi,

1995; Kondo & Gifu, 1997; Onwuegbuzie& Daley, 1996; Ergene, 2003). More recently, a

method known as the Mind-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is a clinical intervention

program made for groups to lessen cases of deterioration or reappearance of major depressive

disorder (MDD) has been utilized for different psychological problems including social phobia

and generalized anxiety disorder (Piet &Hougaard, 2011) and It may also possibly be used for

the reduction of anxiety.

Ergene (2003) stated in his study that compound treatments, which combine skills,

focused approaches with behaviour or cognitive approaches were the most effective. In the study

done by However, Barrett, and Turner (2001; Gregor, 2005) few trials of universal and evidence

based programs for preventing anxiety in young people have been found to date. They defined

the concept of universal programs as interventions, which can be used for the all population, with
 25

their risk status disregarded. The majority of research thus far is focused mainly on adult

contributors. Another of Ergenes (2003) assertion is that there is an intense demand for the

formation of helpful test anxiety reduction methods for primary, middle and high school students

as most of the current programs are designed for college and university students.

Furthermore, another factor that should be considered in the treatment of test anxiety as

noted by Zeidner (2007), is that research on anxiety interventions may be considerably benefited

by the perception of test-anxious individuals profile. Indeed, examining the related significant

predictors of anxiety make the test anxiety theories and approaches more comprehensible, which

probably lead to the development of the best anxiety-reduction methods (Reeve, Bonaccio&

Charles, 2008).

Relationship between Test Anxiety and Academic Achievement

It is worth discussing some studies showing the statistically significant inverse

relationship between test anxiety and students achievement since long time. Gaudry and

Spielberger (1971) discussed that high test anxiety is considered as one of the main factor for

low performance of students at university level. A study conducted by Nicholson (2009) to

explore the effects of test anxiety on student achievement of grade 11 students, revealed that

anxiety and achievement are related to each other. Khalid and Hasan (2009) conducted a study

on a purposively selected sample of 187 undergraduate students to explore the relationship

between test anxiety and academic achievement and found that students with academic

achievement have low test anxiety scores and vice versa. Chapell, Blanding, Takahashi,

Silverstein, Newman, Gubi, and McCann (2005) conducted a research study to explore the
 26

relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. They collected data from a large

sample of graduate and undergraduate students and found a significant and negative relationship

between test anxiety and academic achievement. Hancock (2001) investigated the effects of

students test anxiety and teachers evaluation practices on students achievement and motivation

at post the secondary level. He found statistically significant results which revealed that all

students, especially students with high anxiety level, performed poorly and were less motivated

to learn. Thus he concluded that that when students who are particularly test-anxious are exposed

to a highly evaluative assessment environment in their educational institution, they perform

poorly and are less motivated to perform (Hancock, 2001).

A research study conducted by Cassady& Johnson (2002) to investigate the effect of

cognitive test anxiety on students academic performance and found that cognitive test anxiety

exerts a significant stable and negative impact on academic performance measures. Albero,

Brown, Eliason& Wind (1997), on the basis of their research study, concluded that students

having high test anxiety had significantly lower scores. Oludipe (2009) conducted a study to

explore how test anxiety affects students performance levels in the sciences, especially in

Physics, and concluded that low test-anxious students performed better than high test-anxious

students on both numerical and non-numerical tasks in Physics. On the other hand,

Schonwetter, (1995) by relating this phenomenon to classroom instruction, the researchers

further discussed how high test- anxious students were unable to benefit directly from organized

instruction, which ultimately affected their performance in class. Several researchers explored

gender differences with respect to test anxiety and found that females have higher levels of

overall test anxiety than males (Chapell et al., 2005; Cassady& Johnson, 2002; Bandalos et al.,
 27

1995; Mwamwenda, 1994). Cassady& Johnson, (2002) explained that one explanation for

differences in test anxiety on the basis of students gender is that males and females feel same

levels of test worry, but females have higher levels of emotionality. Zeidner (1990), on the basis

of his research, concluded that difference in test anxiety scores of male and female is due to

gender difference in scholastic ability. It is quite evident from the arguments given above and

results of the studies reported that text anxiety affects achievement along with other variables

such as motivation to learn, ability to benefit from formal instruction and gender. This

diversification of effects of text anxiety lead researchers to think of text anxiety as at least bi-

dimensional construct (Berk & Nanda, 2006; Chapell et al., 2005; Cassady& Johnson, 2002;

Diaz, 2001) with affective and cognitive components. The affective dimension (emotionality)

refers to behavioural or physical reactions to testing situations, such as fear, nervousness, and

physical discomfort (Hanckock, 2001; Pintrich&Schunk, 1996; Williams, 1994). This high level

of emotionality is evident through physiological responses experienced during evaluative

situations (Cassady& Johnson, 2002). The cognitive dimension (worry) refers to cognitive

concerns about performance, such as worry about the testing situation or negative performance

expectations (Humbree, 1988; Morris, Davis, & Hutchings, 1981; Depreeuw, 1984) .It is the

cognitive aspect of test anxiety which has been significantly accounted for declines in academic

achievement of adolescents and postsecondary students (Bandlos, Yates, & Thorndike-Christ,

1995; Williams, 1991; Humbree, 1981). The discussion above has intrigued researchers to

investigate text anxiety as a contributing factor in student achievement among Pakistani students

in institutions of higher education as it is generally perceive that institutions of higher education

in Pakistan have very rigid system of tests/examination having high stakes in students academic

career.
 28

Academic Performance

Academic success has been investigated extensively and several factors have emerged as

critical in academic success. Several studies suggest that students are affected by test anxiety

(Culler &Holahan, 1980; Dendato&Diener,1986; Musch&Brder, 1999; Wine, 1971;

Wittmaier,1972; Zeidner,1998). Many students experience some level of stress while preparing

for an exam. Appropriate levels of stress can enhance students memory, attention, motivation,

and can lead to improved test performance (Salend, 2011). However, when anxiety levels exceed

appropriate levels, it can be debilitating. A few models have been described to account for test

anxiety. Research has consistently shown that test anxiety is a correlate of poor academic

performance (Culler &Holahan, 1980). Much research has addressed the causes of and

treatments for test anxiety (Culler &Holahan, 1980). Researchers have been interested in

developing effective treatments for anxiety. It has been suggested that poor study habits and the

debilitating physiological effects of anxiety lead to poor academic performance (Culler

&Holahan, 1980). Students of any grade level can have difficulty in school due to a lack of

sufficient study skills (Gettinger&Seibert, 2002). Treatments are varied and range from

improving study habits to employing breathing techniques. The purpose of this study is to

examine the combined effects of study skills training and deep muscle relaxation on test anxiety

and academic performance of students with a low grade point average (GPA) seeking assistance

at East Texas Baptist University.

 29

Test Anxiety

Test anxiety is the set of phenomenological, psychological, and behavioral responses

that accompany concern about possiblenegative consequences or failure on an exam or similar

evaluative situations (Chapell, Blanding,Takahashi, Silverstein, Newman, Gubi, & McCann,

2005, p. 268). Sansgiry and Sail (2006) defined test anxiety as the reaction to stimuli that are

associated with an individuals experience of testing or evaluative situations (p. 1). Kirkland

and Hollandsworth (1980) define test anxiety as a constellation of behaviors that have a

debilitating effect on academic performance (p. 431). Thus, test anxiety may be defined as the

non-productive overt and covert behaviors that accompany test taking and test preparation.Many

studies have shown that test anxiety is related to poor academic performance (Culler &Holahan,

1980; Dendato&Diener, 1986; Musch& Brder,1999; Wine, 1971; Wittmaier, 1972). Jerri Wine

(1971) suggests that the performance difference between high and low test-anxious persons is

due to loss of attentional focus during the task being performed. Low test-anxious persons are

generally focused on task-relevant stimuli while performing tasks, while high test-anxious

subjects focus on test-irrelevant stimuli. When a task requires full attention, splitting attention

among stimuli that are irrelevant could interfere with performance (Wine, 1971). Ralph Culler

and Charles Holahan (1980) replicated the finding of previous studies that had shown that test

anxiety is associated with a significant decrease in grade point average. The researchers studied

high test-anxious and low test-anxious college freshmen who were enrolled in an introductory

psychology course. The researchers found significantly lower GPAs associated with higher levels

of anxiety. The researchers further found that students with poor academic records tend to have

poor study skills, as well as higher levels of test anxiety. According to Morris and Liebert (1970),

the cognitive, or worry, component and the emotional component are two distinctive components

of test anxiety. Worry refers to cognitive concerns about test performance (Morris &Liebert,
 30

1970). Thoughts of or worrying about, failing an examination and internal self-statements

regarding self efficacy are elements of the worry component (Sansgiry& Sail, 2006). Morris and

Liebert (1970) note that the worry-emotionality distinction suggests that the physiological

responses are indicators of the emotionality. These researchers suggested that there would be a

negative correlation between worry and test performance, but emotionality and pulse rate would

not be related to test performance. Their results supported the hypothesis, meaning that worry

negatively affects test performance, but emotionality (e.g. pulse rate) does not. Even though

physiological responses such as pulse rate, blood pressure, and temperature are indicators of

anxiety (Morris and Liebert, 1970), the findings of Sansgiry and Sail (2006) suggest that worry

(cognitive component) is the critical factor correlated with decreased performance. Studies have

shown that worry is negatively and consistently related to decreased task performance (Wine,

1971).

Emotionality refers to the arousal of the autonomic nervous system, such as sweating,

increased heart rate, and nausea (Cohen, Ben-Zur, &Rosenfield, 2008). The emotionality

component involves bodily reactions to the testing situation (Morris & Liebert, 1970). Wine

(1971) found that emotional arousal does not bear a consistent relationship to academic

performance on intellectual cognitive tasks (p. 100). Similarly, Meichenbaum (1972) suggests

that emotionality is less likely to interfere with the test performance of test anxious students.

Meichenbaum (1972) indicates that worry is directly related to a decrease in test performance;

therefore, treatments should focus on the worry component. Anxiety during tests has been

reported to interfere with the ability to retrieve, from memory, test relevant information.

Lowering the emotional arousal of high test-anxious subjects should, in theory, reduce task
 31

irrelevant responses. Reducing the task irrelevant responses should also lead to improved

performance. The interference model theory has been suggested to account for the detrimental

effects of test anxiety (Musch&Brder, 1999; Birjandi&Alemi, 2010). According to the

interference model, test anxiety produces responses that are irrelevant to the testing situation,

interfering with relevant responses (Culler &Holahan, 1980; Shokrpour, Zareii, Zahedi,

&Rafatbakhsh, 2011). High test-anxious students are characterized by a low response threshold

to anxiety in evaluative situations (Zeidner, 1998). Students tend to view evaluative and testing

situations as personally threatening (Zeidner, 1998). This model proposes that distractions from

the task at hand lead to test anxiety. According to Birjandi and Alemi (2010), there are two types

of distractions: inappropriate cognitions and physical distractions. High test-anxious students

may become overly self-focused during a testing situation (Zeidner, 1998).

 32

Theoretical Framework

The two most common models used in explaining the effect of test anxiety on academic

performance are the Interference and Deficits models.

Interference Model. The Interference Model describes test anxious student who know or

sufficiently understand the content of course material but who went blank during the

examination. This model also indicated that students with high levels of test anxiety tent to

divide their attention between the task demand and personal concerns, particularly negative self-

preoccupation. However, students with low levels of test anxiety may denote most of their

attention to task demands (Wine, 1981). This implies that the Interference Model stresses the

detrimental effect of task irrelevant thought during the test taking situation. A study conducted by

Morris et al. (1981) supported this model.

Deficit Model. In the Deficit Model two types of factors were taken into consideration

which caused poor academic performance due to high test anxiety experienced by students: study

skills and test taking skills. This model also assumes that poor academic performance is caused

by deficiencies in students test taking skills. Elevation in test anxiety during testing presumably

is caused by students awareness of doing poorly (Tobias,1985).

 33

Conceptual Framework

Figure I. Conceptual framework of the study.

Fourth year Test Anxiety

Psychology Gender Level
students

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Statement of the problem

1. What is the Test Anxiety level of the fourth year Psychology students?

2. Is there a significant difference in the Test Anxiety Level of the students when data are

grouped according to gender and age level?

3. What is the Academic Performance of fourth year Psychology students?

4. Is there a significant correlation between Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of

College Students?

Alternative Hypothesis:

There is a significant correlation between Test Anxiety Level and Academic Performance.

CHAPTER II

METHOD

This method chapter discussed about how the researcher conducted the study through

what type of design, who are the participants involved, where will it be conducted, how will it be
 34

supposed to measure using instrument, how is the procedure done and how the data are to be

analyzed using quantitative data and the limitation of the study.

Design

This study utilized a correlation method of research to investigate the relationship among

variables. This correlation approach looked into the statistical relationship between anxiety levels

and academic achievement. According to Basavanna (2000), a correlation mode of research is an

appropriate choice in cases where the researcher seeks to establish the degree of relationship

between two variables of behaviour in a group. The dependent variable was the anxiety levels of

respondents while the dependent variable was the academic achievement. The correlation

research mode was also favored because it helped the researcher to look into other possible

relationship within the study such as gender differences and relationships, as well as the

relationship between GPAs and test anxiety score.

Participants

The respondents of this research were the 4th year Psychology Students in Western

Mindanao State University. Total enumeration was used as the sampling design. The group was

composed of male and female students with ages ranging from 18 to 26 years old.

Setting

The study was conducted at Western Mindanao State University, College of Liberal Arts,

Psychology Department. Western Mindanao State University, a leading constitution in human

 35

resource development and research in the country and being the university in the region

providing excellence and train students to be competent.

Measures

The Standardized Westside Test Anxiety Scale by Richard Driscoll, Ph.D. was used to

measure the Test Anxiety Level. A brief ten item instrument designed to identify students with

anxiety impairments. The scale items cover self-assessed anxiety impairment which can impair

performance. The instrument was tested for content validity. For the measure on Academic

Performance of the students, the grade point average for the second semester school year 2015-

2016 for each respondent was obtained.

Operational Definition of Terms

Academic achievement or (academic) performance- the researchers will get the grade point

average of the respondents from second semester of school year 2015-2016.

 36

Anxiety paper-and-pencil questionnaire design was used to determine the presence of anxiety

such as emotion and physiological symptoms often accompanied by nervous behavior, pacing

back and forth, somatic complaints, and rumination.by an unpleasant state.

Anxiety Level A test anxiety scale was used to measure the level of manifested apprehension,

tension or uneasiness of anxiety as Comfortably Low, Normal, High Normal, Moderately High,

High Test Anxiety and Extremely High Test Anxiety.of manifested apprehension, tension, or

uneasiness arising from an unidentifiable source.

Mean- the average obtained by dividing the sum of the data by the number of data in the set.

Spearmans rho to determine the relationship between Test Anxiety Level and Academic

Performance, Spearmans rank correlation coefficient or Spearmans rho was used to determine

the nature and strength of the correlation.

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was used to analyze the data to know its

results.

Standard deviation - statistically used to the extent to which data differs from the mean, this is

to see the measure of how the data is clustered about the mean.

Standardized test - requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of

questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a standard or

consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual

students or groups of students.

Test anxiety- will be measured by the used of Standardized Westside Test Anxiety Scale to

determine the anxiety level of the students.

 37

Westside Test Anxiety Scale- a ten item instrument designed to identify students

with anxiety impairments who could benefit from an anxiety-reduction intervention.

The scale items cover self-assessed anxiety impairment and cognitions which can impair

performance.

..

Procedure

The researchers sought permission from the College Dean to allow the researchers to

conduct the study. The researchers looked for participants who are fourth year psychology

students of Western Mindanao State University. Participants were informed about the study and
 38

they were given consent. After consent was given, the participants were asked to answer the

instrument in their most convenient schedule.

Data analysis

The data gathered was analysed by using SPSS statistical software package version 19.

Thus, the data was presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and

percentage in the study. By non-parametric methods of Mann Whitney and Spearman correlation,

relationship between variables was analyzed. Relationship between test anxiety, gender and age

were analyzed by the use of Mann Whitney, and for the relationship between Test anxiety level

and Academic Performance, Spearman correlation was used to determine the nature and strength

of the correlation.

Limitation of the Study

This study was for Fourth year Psychology Students of Western Mindanao State

University, with a total enumeration of 73 respondents. The grade point average was based from

second semester of school year 2015-2016. An instrument comprises of 10 items were used for

the study.

CHAPTER III

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 39

In determining their academic performance, the researchers used the Western Mindanao

State University Grading System (1.0-1.25 Excellence; 1.5-1.75 Very Good; 2.0-2.25

Good; 2.5-2.75 Fair; 3.0 Passing; 5.0 Failure).

The data gathered and tallied were solved for the statistics by a professional statistician to

determine the Test Anxiety Level and Academic Performance of the fourth year Psychology

students.

PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS ACCORDING TO GENDER AND AGE LEVEL

GENDER
Table 1.0.Gender Distribution

Gender Frequency Percent

Female 57 78.1
Male 16 21.9
TOTAL 73 100.0

Table 1.0. shows the profile of the respondents according to gender. A total of 73 respondents

were gathered and more than half of the respondents, 57, or 78.1% are females while there were

16 or 21.9 % were males.

 40

AGE
Table 1.1. Profile of Respondents According to Age

Age Level Frequency

Valid Percent
18 1 1.4
19 28 38.4
20 25 34.2
21 11 15.1
22 3 4.1
23 1 1.4
24 2 2.7
25 1 1.4
26 1 1.4
Total 73 100.0

Table 1.1.shows the approximate age range of the respondents from 18 years old to 26 years old.

The maximum age of the respondents is 26 years old and the minimum is 18 years old.

Research Problem no. 1 What is the Test Anxiety Level of the fourth year Psychology students?
 41

Table 2.0 Mode Response Per Statement on Test Anxiety Scale

Statement f Mode Percent Description

1. When I study, I worry that I will not

remember the material on the exam. Highly or
23 4 31.5
Usually True
2. After an exam, I worry about whether I Highly or
did well enough 23 4 31.5
Usually True

3. I worry so much before a major exam that

29 3 39.7 Moderately
I am to worn out to do my best on the
exam.

4. The closer I am to an exam, he harder it 27 4 37.0 Moderately

is for me to concentrate on the material.

5. During important exams, I think that I am

26 3 35.6 Moderately
doing awful or that I may fail.

6. I finally remember the answer to exam

questions after the exam is already over. 26 3 35.6 Moderately

7. I find that my mind sometimes wonders 22 3 30.1 Slightly

when I am taking important exams.

8. I lose focus on important exams, and I

42 2 57.5 Slightly
cant remember material that I knew
before the exam.

9. I struggle about writing assignments, or

32 2 43.8 Slightly
avoid them as long as I can. I feel
whatever I do will not be good enough.

10. I feel out of sorts or not really myself

when I take important exams. 29 2 39.7 Slightly

73 2.9 38.2
Valid N (listwise)
Table 2.0 shows the modal value per statement and the corresponding percentage and their

corresponding description. As shown majority of the statements in Table 1 were answered by the

respondents with a rating scale of moderately or sometimes true. In statement no. 4, I lose focus
 42

on important exams, and I can't remember material that I knew before the exam more than half

of the respondents answered slightly or seldom True which is equivalent to a valid percent of

57.5. In statement no. 10 I struggle about writing assignments, or avoid them as long as I can. I

feel whatever I do will not be good enough there are 43.8 percent of the respondents answered

Slightly or Seldom True. Both statement no. 6 I worry so much before a major exam that I am

to worn out to do my best on the exam and 7 I feel out of sorts or not really myself when I take

important exams got the same valid percent of 39.7 but with different rating scale of Moderately

or Sometimes True for statement no. 6 and Slightly or Seldom True for statement no. 7.

Statement no. 1 The closer I am to an exam, the harder it is for me to concentrate on the

material 37.0 percent of the respondents answered moderately or Sometimes True. 35.6 of the

respondents had answered moderately or Sometimes True for both statements no. 3 During

important exams, I think that I am doing awful or that I may fail and 5 I finally remember the

answer to exam questions after the exam is already over. The same as statements no. 2 When I

study, I worry that I will not remember the material on the exam and 9 After an exam, I worry

about whether I did well enough, there are 31.5 of respondents had answered highly or Usually

True. Followed by statement no. 8 I find that my mind sometimes wonders when I am taking

important exams, there are 30.1 percent of the respondents who answered moderately or

Sometimes True.

Table 2.1. Test Anxiety Level

 43

Frequency Percent
Comfortably Low 10 13.7
Normal or average 14 19.2
High Normal 20 27.4
Moderately High 22 30.1
High Test Anxiety 5 6.8
Extremely High 2 2.7
Total 73 100.0

Table 2.1 As shown above, there are 30.1 percent of the respondents who had a Test Anxiety

Level of Moderately High. 27.4 percent of the respondents who had High Normal Test Anxiety

Level. Followed by Normal or Average Test Anxiety Level of 19.2 percent of respondents.10 of

the repondents who had Comfortably Low Test Anxiety Level which is equivalent to 13.7

percent. There are 5 of the respondents who had High Test Anxiety Level which is equivalent to

6.8 percent and out of 100 percent, 2.7 percent of the respondents who had Extremely High Test

Anxiety Level.

Research Problem no. 2.Is there a significant difference in the Test Anxiety Level of the

students when data are grouped according to gender and age level?
 44

Table 3.0 Test Statistics

Test Anxiety Score

Mann-Whitney U 345.500
Wilcoxon W 1998.500
Z -1.477
Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) .140

a. Grouping Variable: Gender

Table 3.0 Mann Whitney U test revealed that there is no significant difference in test anxiety

score across gender (U = 345.500 p = .140).

Table 3.1 Kruskal Wallis Test

Test Anxiety Score Age N Mean Rank
Chi-Square 3.420 18-20 53 33.80
df 2 21-23 15 43.40
Asymp. Sig. .181 24-26 4 46.38
Total 72 b.
Grouping Variable: Age

Table 3.1. shows the Kruskal Wallis test between anxiety level and age. A Kruskal Wallis H

test showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the test anxiety score among

the different age groups, X2(2)=3.420, p=0.181 a mean rank anxiety score of 33.80 for age 18-

20, 43.40 for age 21-23 and 46.38 for age 24-26.

Research Problem no. 3.What is the Academic Performance of the fourth year Psychology

students?
 45

Table 4.0 Grade Point Average of the fourth year Psychology Student

Adjectival Valid Cumulative

Ratings Frequency Percent Percent Percent

Valid 1.5-1.99 Very Good 32 43.8 43.8 43.8

2.0-2.49 Good 36 49.3 49.3 93.2
2.50-2.99 Fair 5 6.8 6.8 100.0
Total 73 100.0 100.0

Table 4.0 shows the academic performance of the fourth year Psychology students at Western

Mindanao State University. It shows that the majority of the BS Psychology students obtained a

Grade Point Average of 2.0-2.49 which is equivalent to 49.3 percent of the total respondents with

the adjectival rating of Good. There are 43.8 percent of the respondents who got the GPA of 1.5-

1.99 with the adjectival rating of Very Good. Followed by the respondents who got 6.8 percent of

GPA of 2.50-2.99 with the adjectival rating of Fair.

Research Problem no. 4.Is there a significant correlation between Test Anxiety Level and

Academic Performance of fourth year Psychology students?

Table 5.0 Descriptive Statistics

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N Minimu Maximum Mean

m
GPA 73 1.50 2.80 2.0249
Test Anxiety Score 73 1.3 4.3 2.707
Valid N (listwise) 73

Table 5.0 Shows the minimum and maximum of the Grade Point Average and Test Anxiety

Score of the respondents. The minimum Grade Point Average of the 73 respondents is 1.50, and a

maximum of 2.80. Out of 73 respondents, the maximum Test Anxiety Score is 4.3 and a

minimum of 1.3.

Table 5.1 Spearmans rho

GPA Test Anxiety Score

Spearman's rho GPA Correlation
1.000 .323(**)
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed) . .005
N 73 73
Test Anxiety Score Correlation
.323(**) 1.000
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed) .005 .
N
73 73
Table 5.1 Shows that the computed spearman rank correlation coefficient rs = .323 indicates a

significant low correlation between test anxiety and academic performance. Meaning, the test

anxiety of the fourth year BS Psychology is more likely doesnt affect their academic

performance to low performance, but rather it keeps them more active and focus at the time the

exam being taken.

CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

SUMMARY
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Having test anxiety causes people to get very anxious before a test or exam. It generally

causes them to earn a score that is below their capability . The study explains the impact of the

Test Anxiety to the academic performance of the fourth year BS Psychology students.To achieve

these goals, it must have a specific goal to have a respondents that can prove and have a result in

which it can support the study. All 73 respondents of 4th Year Psychology Students were asked to

answer a survey sheet with 10 item statements that can reflect their test anxiety in relation to

academic performance. The majority of the respondents, which are 22 respondents, got

moderately high test anxiety, but that doesn't mean that it can directly influence the performance

in exams. Only 10 out of 73 got comfortably low on the level of their test anxiety.According to

(Daly et.al. 2011), when test anxiety is present in manageable amounts, the presence of test

anxiety can act as a motivator and somehow helps increase performance. Results showed that a

cognitive factor (worry) contributes more in test anxiety than affective factors (emotional).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study confirmed low correlation between Test Anxiety and Grade Point

Average among fourth year BS Psychology students. Moreover, only few respondents had severe
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Test Anxiety Level, while most respondents experienced mild or Moderate Test Anxiety during

examinations.

The researchers found out that low and high test anxious students have high GPAs as well

as low GPAs. This may now support the hypothesis of interference and deficit model. The

researchers concluded that students with test anxiety who have good GPAs had developed and

exercised better study skill, thus having low or moderate test anxiety. The presence of test

anxiety may act as a motivator to them to perform well academically. While on the other hand,

some of the students have high test anxiety because its either they did not perform well in

studying right before the exam or they did not study instead, thus having high test anxiety

because of the fear of appearing mental black out or sort out during the exam that students will

be worried whether they can remember things or not. Though there are anxious students who

know sufficiently understand the content of the material but still went blank during the

examination.

Therefore, high level of test anxiety occurs to some students because of lack thorough

study habits on the content of the exam. The deficit model supported the study that poor

academic performance is caused by deficiencies in students study skills and test-taking skills.

The result of the study revealed that test anxiety and academic performance have a

significant low correlation which means, test anxiety truly triggers performance but not too

much. This point out that test anxiety is not directly affecting the students Academic

Achievement to low performance because some respondents have test anxiety either low or

moderate test anxiety but still they perform good academically during an examination, though
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there are also some respondents who have test anxiety either low, moderate or high test anxiety

but did not perform well academically during an exam.

According to Driscoll et. al 2009, anxiety during an examination acts as a motivating

factor. A moderate level of Test Anxiety is essential for better academic performance, absence of

anxiety ultimately lead to poor Academic Performance as anxiety is a trigger factor to stimulate

struggle among students.

RECOMMENDATION
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People have those moments wherein they unintentionally increase or maintain their own

worry by thinking unhelpful thoughts. These thoughts are often unrealistic, inaccurate, or to

some extent, unreasonable. It is normal to experience some degree of anxiety when stressors are

unfamiliar, unpredictable, or imminent. Anxiety, in itself, feels bad, but is not inherently harmful

and does pass. The Bachelor of Science in Psychology should identify those thoughts.

1. The Institution, Western Mindanao State University should provide programs and seminar

workshops to help undergraduate individuals to practice self-care, mindfulness and

acceptance wherein they should attain their own feelings and healthy lifestyle practices like

good nutrition, sleep, exercises and resilience to maintain a healthy stress management.
2. The Guidance Counselling Office in WMSU may help the individual to identify and think

about the stressors. Think about how it affects their feelings and behaviour. If they are not

helpful, change them to more helpful adaptive thoughts. The individual should think of it

like a wave of the ocean; allow it to come in, experience it, and ride it out.
3. The Psychology Department may help psycho-educate the individuals to investigate the

effect of psych education on reducing the test anxiety and personal indecisiveness.
4. When taking before an exam, the individual should practice deep diaphragmatic breath

techniques to triggers their relaxation response, switching from fight-or-flight response of

the sympathetic nervous system, to the relaxing, balance response of our parasympathetic

nervous system.
5. The individual should also practice positive coping statements. For example, Anxiety is just

a feeling, like any other feeling. Another example is this feels bad, but I can use some

strategies to control it. Positive thoughts about your ability to manage stress can be helpful

in maintaining motivation and persistence in making healthy stress management strategies.

6. To overcome test anxiety, the individual should work with a Cognitive and Behavioural

Therapy Psychologists who can help you develop a working knowledge of how their own

thoughts and behaviours relate to their anxiety.

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