The development of a measure of test anxiety among adolescents, the FRIEDBEN Test Anxiety Scale, is reported. It is a 23-item scale with subscales for Social Derogation, Cognitive Obstruction, and Tenseness. Data regarding replicability and construct validity are reported using responses of 3,858 students in 23 junior high and high schools. (SLD)

Emotional intelligence involves a cluster of skills, including self-control, zeal, persistence, and self-motivation. Every child must be taught the essentials of handling anger, managing conflicts, developing empathy, and controlling impulses. Schools must help children recognize and manage their emotions. Educators should model emotional…

Discusses the Mabar experiment underway at WIZO High School in Rehovot, Israel. The experiment aims to make Bagrut exams accessible to students thought incapable or uninterested in taking the exam. (CK)

Two experiments involving 131 graduate students were conducted to determine effects of reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) on graduate students' academic achievement, test anxiety, and academic self-efficacy. RPT and nonRPT groups did not differ significantly on achievement tests, but other results suggest that RPT may help students achieve learning…

A follow-up study examined 12 children who demonstrated stress in the period leading up to or during administration of standard assessment tasks (SATs). Findings indicate that for some children who tend to be sensitive or anxious, the SATs may push them beyond a level of stress that is manageable or acceptable. (Contains 1 reference.) (CR)

When multiple-choice answer sheets are printed in the latent-image format, students may be required to select alternatives until they identify the correct one. This provides immediate feedback and permits use of more complicated test formats, but it also introduces novel ways to cheat and may engender substantial anxiety in test-takers unless…

Describes a longitudinal evaluation of the five-week Computerphobia Reduction Program designed to reduce anxiety in the use of computers. Discusses methodology, evaluation measures, selection of clients, therapies offered, and results, which showed the intervention strategies to be successful in reducing computer anxiety over the long term. (28…

Among 148 college students taking a self-adapted computerized test of basic algebra skills, higher self-confidence and lower test anxiety were related to choosing more difficult first items but were not related to later choices. Overall, examinees chose items of moderate difficulty relative to their ability level. (SV)

A discussion of the psychological impact of the African-American experience with the U.S. educational system focuses on how this psychological conditioning affects African-American students' performance on standardized tests and in college courses. It draws on theories of intellectual development and recent research on testing in African Americans…

Reviews major research conducted between 1984 and 1989 on test anxiety among college, concluding that test anxiety may result from long-term memory problems. Explores techniques for reducing test anxiety, assessing the relative validity of each. Proposes a holistic approach to reducing test anxiety that addresses cognitive and emotional…

Examined deductive reasoning in 120 adolescents and relationship of parental style and test anxiety to reasoning performance. Found that tenth and twelfth graders demonstrated more advanced reasoning than sixth graders. Authoritative parenting was related to more advanced reasoning performance and lower test anxiety than nonauthoritative…

Testing is a primary tool for measuring students' comprehension of course material in many collegiate business courses. Test anxiety experienced by students may adversely affect the ability of testing to measure students' comprehension of course material. In this study, the author specifically examined the relationships between test anxiety…

Previous studies have shown that, when administered a self-adapted test, a few examinees will choose item difficulty levels that are not well-matched to their proficiencies, resulting in high standard errors of proficiency estimation. This study investigated whether the previously observed effects of a self-adapted test--lower anxiety and higher…

The question of whether students perform linguistically differently when writing under examination conditions than when writing term essays is addressed in this working paper. The study was prompted by the feeling by many students that their linguistic performance deteriorates in examination conditions and that this deterioration makes a…

A study was conducted to determine whether cooperative testing would result in better performance and less anxiety than individual testing. Two sections of a developmental psychology class used cooperative testing, and a third section used traditional testing methods. Four multiple choice tests containing 50 items were administered to each group,…