Abstract
ObjectiveTest anxiety (TA) is a construct that has scarcely been studied based on Lang’s three-dimensional model of anxiety. The objective of this article is to investigate the repercussion of sociodemographic and academic variables on different responses for each component of anxiety and for the type of test in adolescent students.MethodA total of 1181 students from 12 to 18 years old (M = 14.7 and SD = 1.8) participated, of whom 569 were boys (48.2%) and 612 girls (51.8%). A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Cuestionario de Ansiedad ante los examenes-Adaptado (CAEX-A) [Test Anxiety Questionnaire-Adapted] an adaptation for Spanish secondary school levels (ESO) and Bachillerato were administered.ResultsGirls scored higher on the cognitive and physiological components of TA than boys, the intensity of the physiological response increasing with age. Bachillerato level students reported more physiological anxiety than those of ESO level. Students with better marks in the previous year presented more anxiety in the cognitive component, while those who obtained the lower mark presented higher anxiety values in the behavioral component. Participants reported that the types of tests that cause them more anxiety were oral tests in front of the class, oral presentation in front of a panel, and mathematics tests.ConclusionAdolescents show a differential response of TA based on the physiological, cognitive and motor components, mediated by the variables of gender, age, grade, academic performance and type of exam. These results serve to design specific intervention programs to manage anxiety in situations of academic assessment.
Highlights
Test anxiety (TA) is the relatively stable tendency to generate a disproportionate emotional response in academic assessment situations, due to concern about poor performance and possible negative consequences (Balogun et al, 2017; Putwain and Symes, 2018)
Within the multi-dimensional models, the three-dimensional theory of anxiety proposed by Lang (1968) stands out, which establishes that anxiety is composed of three response systems: cognitive, physiological, and behavioral or motor, which can be manifested in a discordant and asynchronous way (Furlan, 2006; Martínez-Monteagudo et al, 2012)
There are some studies on non-university education levels, where differences have been found in sociodemographic variables such as ethnicity, age/grade level, and— especially—gender
Summary
Test anxiety (TA) is the relatively stable tendency to generate a disproportionate emotional response in academic assessment situations, due to concern about poor performance and possible negative consequences (Balogun et al, 2017; Putwain and Symes, 2018). Test Anxiety Sociodemographic Academic Variables construct and it is underscored by the diversity of terms used in its definition: emotion, worry, tension, lack of security, irrelevant thinking, cognitive reactions to assessment situations, off-task behavior, autonomic reactions, bodily reactions, thinking, self-rumination, affective response, cognitive response, psychophysiological response, and motivational response (Liebert and Morris, 1967; Pekrun et al, 2004; Sarason, 1984; Wren and Benson, 2004; Pena and Losada, 2017). The gender difference in coping with test situations is probably due to the different degree of societal demand, which emphasizes the necessity for students to be involved in tasks as well as high expectations of success (Rosàrio and Soatres, 2003) This difference does not affect academic performance possibly because of girls’ use of appropriate coping strategies (Núñez-Peña et al, 2016)
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