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Test Anxiety and Student Performance Essay example

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Test Anxiety and Student Performance

Abstract
Test anxiety is a real and measureable problem student’s face regardless of their grade or level of academic achievement. Test anxiety can also adversely affect how students participate in and view the learning process long term. This study was designed to examine the effects of test anxiety on high school students specifically, and how the stress associated with the processes or outcomes of standardized testing can negatively impact their performance. There is also a theory that contributing factors of test anxiety can also impact social anxiety. The purpose of this study is to determine if students with determined higher levels of test anxiety perform lower overall on standardized …show more content…

They tend to engage in distracting and negative thoughts about themselves, which prevent them from concentrating on their tasks (Zatz & Chassin, 1985). As a result, these students have difficulties learning and excelling on standardized tests. However, it is important to highlight the fact that any students, regardless of their level of intelligence or academic performance, can be adversely affected by test anxiety (Clovis, 1999). Most significantly, Clovis (1999) pointed out that these inappropriate strategies can trigger further increases in test anxiety and create a cycle of academic failure. Preliminary Literature Review
To address this phenomenon, researchers have proposed different theories of test anxiety to account for the effects of test anxiety on the deficits of academic performance. According to scholars such as Schmidt and Riniolo (1999), the cognitive aspects of test anxiety - worry and task-relevant thinking - are also present in social anxiety. Therefore, students who experience test anxiety may also suffer from other types of psychological and cognitive problems such as self-esteem, cognitive development, social skills and memory. Essentially, the students who suffer from test anxiety are individuals who are unable to cope with any types of stress. Considering the stressful nature of

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