Negative Effects Of Test Anxiety

Contemporary society has been given the labels of “test-oriented” and “test-consuming” (Zeidner & Most, 1992) due to its extensive use of testing assessments as a primary agent in decisions that impact many areas of people’s lives. Test scores essentially control an individual’s status in grade school, college and employment. As one expert put it, “We live in a test conscious, test-giving culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance” (Sarason, 1959, p. 26). The increased use of tests and the high stakes that exam scores have on scholastic achievement and advancement has put students under more intense pressure to perform well on tests. (CITE) Consequently, the phenomenon of test anxiety has become a prevailing problem in today’s educational system. Test anxiety has been defined as “the set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions that accompany concern over possible negative consequences contingent upon performance in a test or evaluative situation” (Zeidner, 1998, p. 25-26). Overwhelming worrisome thoughts is often referred to as the hallmark symptom of test anxiety. Individuals are typically consumed with negative thoughts of potential failure in regards to testing situations. Wine’s (1971) “cognitive- attention” model attributes these negative cognitions responsible for less than optimal performance on tests because the individual is preoccupied with off-task information rather than being able to focus their attention on recalling relevant test material. (CITE) Test-anxiety also causes physiological changes to occur as a result of added stress in evaluative settings. The body responds to test stressors in a state of panic which causes heightened level of arousal and increased activity of cardiovascular and respiratory systems. (CITE) High-anxious students often resort to maladaptive behaviors as a result of not being able to efficiently cope with the anxiety-induced cognitive and affective deficits. They are likely to adopt poor study habits when preparing for a test or possibly resort to behaviors such as cheating when taking a test. (CITE) The symptoms of test anxiety vary along a continuum. “Although all evaluative situations will be accompanied by some emotional reactions, it is the individual’s past experiences and beliefs, that have been shaped by a multitude of factors, that will mold their unique reactions to a test situation” (Mc,Donald, 2001, p. 92). The relationship between test anxiety and academic …show more content…
Hembree (1988) proposed that test-anxious student’s academic underachievement is likely to continue at every educational level. The worry of test performance is among the most common sources of stress for college students. Test anxiety is known to be pervasive in college populations classifying 20% of high-anxious students as academic failures as compared to less that 6% of low-anxiety students (Spielberger, 1966). A meta-analysis on anxiety-performance research also concluded that two thirds of low-test-anxious students score higher than the average high-test-anxious student, at any age Seipp (1991). The results of the debilitating effects of test anxiety on academic performance does not accurately reflect examinee’s ability level often leading to life altering negative consequences, such as being denied enrollment into undergraduate, graduate or professional programs, while less qualified individuals are accepted due to spuriously inaccurate test scores. The negative impact of test-anxiety in educational systems are becoming increasingly more apparent and a more comprehensive understanding and solutions to this condition are greatly …show more content…
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