Exploring the role of psychological inflexibility, rumination, perfectionism cognitions, cognitive defusion, and self-forgiveness in cognitive test anxiety

Abstract

This study examined the roles of psychological inflexibility, rumination, perfectionism cognitions, cognitive defusion, and self-forgiveness in predicting cognitive test anxiety among a sample of 715 university students (351 females, 364 males). The Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-Revised, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Ruminative Response Scale, Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory, Drexel Defusion Scale, State Self-Forgiveness Scale, and Demographic Information Form were used as data collection instruments. The results of Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that psychological inflexibility, rumination, perfectionism cognitions, and cognitive defusion were significant predictors of cognitive test anxiety, whereas self-forgiveness made no significant contribution to the model. The hypothesized model overall accounted for 31% of the variance in cognitive test anxiety scores, with psychological inflexibility explaining 23% of the variance in the first model, and the remaining variables accounting for an additional 8% of the variance. The strongest contribution to cognitive test anxiety was psychological inflexibility, followed by cognitive defusion, rumination and perfectionism cognitions. While psychological inflexibility, rumination, and perfectionism cognitions were found to correlate with cognitive test anxiety positively, cognitive defusion was negatively associated with cognitive test anxiety.