Advances in test anxiety research

Abstract

Eighty-eightfive-point-items pertaining to diverse cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of coping with test were administered to high­ school students (N = 590). A principal component analysis led to four clearly interpretable dimensions, accounting for 32% of the total variance. The questionnaire for coping with test has satisfactory psychometric properties. Two components represent a palliative function (anxiety control and repression) and the other two components an instrumental function (danger control and situation control). as an emotional pattern has undoubtedly provoked a great deal of intensive scientific discussion (see Frohlich, 1983; Izard, 1977; Last & Hersen, 1988; Spielberger, 1966a, 1972b; Tuma & Maser, 1985). It entails feelings such as fear, irritation, shame, timidity (shyness) and distress. Unfortunately, researchers have not agreed upon an exact definition of this term. That is why only the most important aspects will be discussed here: Anxiety is regarded as a phylogenetic as well as an ontogenetic state of excitation and tension which appears early in development. It correlates with specific somatic, psychic, and behavioral reactions. Anxiety can be characterized by anticipation, actual feeling, or memory of a subjectively relevant, real or virtual insecurity (horror vacui) or threat (such as inadequacy, pain or danger). It is activated by cues, which in general have been learned. Test anxiety refers to typical anxiety-eliciting situations and conditions , in the educational context dealing with training, learning, and performance (Rost, 1981; Rost & Haferkamp, 1981, 1982). Thus, test can be seen as a reaction-bound stress phenomenon on the one hand, and as a situation­

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