Comparing the academically successful and unsuccessful test anxious college students: a search for differentiating variables

Includes bibliographical references (pages 53-59)The purpose of this study was to explore some\ud of the differences in personality characteristics that\ud might be predicted for students as a function of their\ud level of test anxiety and academic performance.\ud Sixty-one upper division psychology students, aged\ud 20-56, filled out a series of questionnaires which\ud assessed the level of test anxiety, control over\ud negative thoughts, perceived locus of control, study\ud methods, academic drive, alienation, and manipulation.\ud The students were classified as either high or low in\ud test anxiety and high or low in academic performance.\ud These four groups were compared on their responses to\ud the six dependent variables. The following predictions were upheld. High test\ud anxious students (regardless of performance) do report\ud more negative thoughts, F(1,36)=24.44,p<.01, and less academic interest, F(1,36)=4.13,p<.05. High\ud performers indicated more academic interest,\ud F(1,36)=14.97,p<.05, and academic drive,\ud F(1,36)=5.21,p<.05. Though not formally predicted,\ud high test anxious students were found to have higher\ud study anxiety, F(l,36)=18.43,p<.05. No other\ud differences were found as a function of Academic\ud Performance and Test Anxiety. The failure to support the predictions upon which\ud this study was predicated, that those students who are\ud both high test anxious and high performing would be\ud different from their fellow students in terms of a\ud variety of dependent variables, was discussed in\ud view of the limitation of the present study