The Concepts and Manifestations of Test Anxiety
INTRODUCTION
Test anxiety can be described as physiological, cognitive, and emotional responses created by stress experienced during the assessment and has a negative contribution on the students’ attitudes towards courses (Spielberger, 1980b; Hall Brown et al, 2005). Test anxiety reduces students’ academic achievement, life quality and inner motivation, also it makes difficult their focus attention (Stober et al., 2004). Therefore, the determining the level of students’ test anxiety is very important for teaching and learning activities.
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent phenomena in psychological studies and has been researched for many years. Anxiety is a basic human emotional signaling a lack of self-assurance or a sense of threat coming from the environment and is considered one of the most common reactions to stress (Sarason, 1984c). Anxiety is considered to be a complex state involving elements of uncomfortable physical arousal, emotional sensation, and cognitive thoughts (Hong, 1998). The main characteristic of anxiety is an uneasy sensation that includes an undefined treat (Taylor et al., 1998).Our generation has grown into a society that becomes more competitive and emphasizes success in academic life. As the need for knowledge and professionalism increases, there is a need for assessment of the individual, which in turn requires more and more tests aimed to measure, and classify, in order to enter a university or acquire jobs. This classification that is so important for future training and job entry could potentially lead to the experience of test anxiety (Sarason, 1980b).
Sarason (1978a) indicated that when characteristic of anxiety is present during assessments in an academic setting we refer to the situation as test anxiety (TA). Anxiety appears because the individual knows that judgment is used to assess his or her performance. According to the definition, TA is a form of state anxiety; however, people who have high trait anxiety tend to sense
Test anxiety can be described as physiological, cognitive, and emotional responses created by stress experienced during the assessment and has a negative contribution on the students’ attitudes towards courses (Spielberger, 1980b; Hall Brown et al, 2005). Test anxiety reduces students’ academic achievement, life quality and inner motivation, also it makes difficult their focus attention (Stober et al., 2004). Therefore, the determining the level of students’ test anxiety is very important for teaching and learning activities.
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent phenomena in psychological studies and has been researched for many years. Anxiety is a basic human emotional signaling a lack of self-assurance or a sense of threat coming from the environment and is considered one of the most common reactions to stress (Sarason, 1984c). Anxiety is considered to be a complex state involving elements of uncomfortable physical arousal, emotional sensation, and cognitive thoughts (Hong, 1998). The main characteristic of anxiety is an uneasy sensation that includes an undefined treat (Taylor et al., 1998).Our generation has grown into a society that becomes more competitive and emphasizes success in academic life. As the need for knowledge and professionalism increases, there is a need for assessment of the individual, which in turn requires more and more tests aimed to measure, and classify, in order to enter a university or acquire jobs. This classification that is so important for future training and job entry could potentially lead to the experience of test anxiety (Sarason, 1980b).
Sarason (1978a) indicated that when characteristic of anxiety is present during assessments in an academic setting we refer to the situation as test anxiety (TA). Anxiety appears because the individual knows that judgment is used to assess his or her performance. According to the definition, TA is a form of state anxiety; however, people who have high trait anxiety tend to sense