Compared recalled and actual test anxiety in college students (N=71) and examined the interrelationship of anxiety with personality variables and sex differences. Results showed recalled test anxiety to be significantly higher than actual test anxiety and indicated no significant differences according to sex. (LLL)

Assessed the degree to which components of test-taking strategies, covert self-statements, and subjective anxiety during an exam provide increments in prediction of test performance of undergraduates (N=72). Results showed that only test-taking strategies provided a significant increment to multiple-choice and essay test performance but not math…

Presents a test that teaches test-taking strategies and that can be used to reduce students' test anxiety. (AEA)

Compared effectiveness of counterconditioning and self-control models of systematic desensitization in reducing targeted and nontargeted anxieties. Treatments were equally effective in reducing and maintaining reduction of targeted anxiety, debilitating test anxiety. (Author)

Test-anxious students were assigned to a core treatment (Meichenbaum's cognitive behavior modification and study skills training) alone, with videotaped modeling, with rehearsal modeling, or under control conditions. No treatment led to significant academic performance improvement, a finding consistent with many test-anxiety studies using grades…

Lists seven common student fears about classroom tests and suggests ways that teachers may help alleviate them. (SJL)

Item-response changing as a function of test anxiety was investigated. Data supported the hypothesis that high test-anxious students make more item-response changes than low test-anxious students. Also, both high- and low-anxious students profit to a similar extent proportionally from answer changing. (Author/GK)

Brief relaxation instruction alone and instructions plus electromyographic (EMG) feedback produced significant decreases in general and test-specific anxiety. EMG feedback added little to the effectiveness of relaxation instructions and practice. Relaxation instruction without EMG biofeedback shifted subjects toward a more internal locus of…

To reduce test anxiety, students should know that apparently no correlation exists between student rankings on examinations and the order in which students completed those examinations. Although the first paper completed usually ranks higher than the last, it is not necessarily the best paper, nor is the last the worst. (SB)

A followup investigation of effects of self-control interventions on targeted (test) and nontargeted anxieties showed maintenance of nontargeted anxiety reduction. Subjects reported less nontargeted anxiety than controls. Differences on nontargeted anxiety measures approached significance for subjects in modified desensitization. (Author)

Undergraduates were divided into three groups: test announced and given (n=37); test announced, not given (n=35); and no test announced or given (n=38). Those who expected but were not given a test scored no better on retention than controls. Over 88% reported they would not study material unless it was to be on a test. (SK)

Tested for bias toward shifting attention toward threatening stimuli among high-anxious children and away from such stimuli among low-anxious children, ages 11-14. Results supported the predicted attentional bias toward threat cues among high-test-anxious children. Unexpectedly, the predicted attentional bias away from threat cues among…

The study measured the anxiety of 262 medical students at the University of Barcelona (Spain) during examinations on two subjects. Findings showed a positive correlation between importance attributed to the examination and anxiety and a negative correlation between importance attributed to the examination and the importance attributed to chance in…

Finds that, among 214 Canadian college students, subjects with high test anxiety had significantly lower overall scores on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and experienced greater cognitive interference during the test than subjects with low test anxiety. Groups did not vary significantly, however, on individual WCST variables. (SV)

According to data from 144 technical writing students, 16% had writing apprehension and 16% had test anxiety; only 3.5% had both. Gender and age predicted test anxiety but not writing apprehension. Number of composition classes predicted writing apprehension but not test anxiety. (SK)