Preparatory Test Anxiety: Cognitive, Emotionality, and Behavior Components

Abstract

Test anxiety interferes with the ability to communicate knowledge during tests. Preparatory test anxiety may lead to excessive learning that reduces concentration and leads to mistakes and ineffective learning. This preliminary study developed the Preparatory Test Anxiety Questionnaire (PTAQ), tested its reliability and construct validity, and assessed whether students with preparatory test anxiety exhibit excessive learning. Additionally, it explored the relations between the subscales and the total scores of the PTAQ and the TAI. Sample included 364 undergraduate college psychology students. Results indicated that the PTAQ is comprised of the ‘cognition-emotion’ and ‘behavior’ subscales and has an adequate internal consistency and construct validity. The subscales and total score of the PTAQ were positively correlated with those of the TAI. Regression analysis showed that the Emotion-Cognition scale of the PTAQ significantly added to the explained variance, while the Behavior scale did not. Results are discussed with regard to preparatory test anxiety.

Keywords

• test anxiety
• preparatory
• excessive learning
• cognition
• emotionality
• behavior