Research suggests that test anxiety is associated with a number of maladaptive factors. The majority of test anxiety research includes the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) as a primary outcome variable. However, the TAI was normed on college undergraduates in 1980. The academic landscape has altered in a variety of ways in the past 30 years, which may result in out-of-date norms. This study examined changes in TAI scores in college undergraduates (n =437) as well as convergent validity with measures of trait anxiety and academic performance. Results indicated increases in TAI scores for females while holding constant for males. Additionally, females and males displayed positive correlations between the TAI and state-trait anxiety inventory, while only females displayed a significant negative correlation between the TAI and grade point average. Data provide evidence of changes in TAI scores. As a result, researchers should be careful when drawing conclusions based on original TAI norms, especially in the case of female undergraduates.
Abstract
Introduction
Methodology
Background
Sampling and Selection of Participants
Design
Ethical Considerations
Instruments
First Stage
Second Stage
Analysis of Data
Results
Table 1 :
Symptoms | 10 minutes Before Exam | 10 minutes into Exam | with Examiner | After Examiner | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Physical | |||||
Pound/Racing | 4.05 | 3.66 | 3.46 | 2.61 | 13.78 |
Trembling | 2.97 | 3.03 | 2.97 | 2.15 | 11.12 |
Hot/Flushed | 2.68 | 2.54 | 2.74 | 2.39 | 10.35 |
Hot/Cold Sweat | 2.55 | 2.51 | 2.41 | 1.96 | 9.43 |
Bladder/bowel upset | 3.10 | 2.29 | 1.89 | 1.66 | 8.94 |
Psychological | |||||
Terrified/Afraid | 3.75 | 3.57 | 3.10 | 2.35 | 12.77 |
Tense | 4.10 | 3.77 | 3.47 | 2.47 | 13.81 |
Difficulty concentrating | 3.70 | 3.23 | 3.00 | 2.50 | 12.43 |
Worried | 4.25 | 3.91 | 3.48 | 3.18 | 14.82 |
Stressed | 3.96 | 3.95 | 3.45 | 2.88 | 14.53 |
Table 2 :
Symptoms | STAI categories | Total Anxiety (β) | Standard Error | Tesr Statistic (t,p) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Before | Low † | 34.700 | 1.303 | 26.623, 0.000** |
Moderate (vs low) | 34.818 | 2.067 | 0.057, 0.955 | |
High (vs low) | 41.444 | 3.337 | 2.021, 0.046* | |
Into | Low † | 32.080 | 1.327 | 23.416, 0.000** |
Moderate (vs low) | 32.384 | 2.105 | 0.624, 0.534 | |
High (vs low) | 40.444 | 3.398 | 2.756, 0.007* | |
Examiner | Low † | 28.560 | 1.598 | 17.870, 0.000** |
Moderate (vs low) | 30.091 | 2.535 | 0.604, 0.547 | |
High (vs low) | 37.162 | 4.092 | 2.117, 0.448 | |
After | Low † | 24.380 | 1.628 | 17.870, 0.000** |
Moderate (vs low) | 22.879 | 2.582 | −5.581, 0.562 | |
High (vs low) | 27.566 | 4.169 | 0.762, 0.448 |
Table 3 :
Performance | STAI Category | No | Yes | Test Statistic (χ2, p) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N | % | N | % | |||
Satisfied with performance | High | 10 | 48 | 11 | 52 | 6.939 0.031* |
Moderate | 27 | 82 | 6 | 18 | ||
Low | 6 | 67 | 3 | 33 | ||
Performances matched expectation | High | 10 | 48 | 11 | 52 | 2.713 0.258 |
Moderate | 21 | 64 | 12 | 36 | ||
Low | 7 | 78 | 3 | 22 | ||
Performances normally | High | 10 | 33 | 14 | 67 | 9.133 0.008* |
Moderate | 21 | 64 | 12 | 36 | ||
Low | 7 | 89 | 1 | 11 |