Test and Academic Anxiety

1. Test and Academic Anxiety Jerrell Cassady, PhD Chair and Professor of Psychology Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University

2. Jerrell Cassady Chair and Professor of Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology at Ball State University. His research focuses on the impact of academic anxieties (e.g., test anxiety) on student learning and achievement. Through his research, he has developed assessment tools to assist in identifying academic anxieties in learners. Dr. Cassady also strives to help students reduce their anxiety and achieve their academic goals by disseminating valuable information on this topic to the community through various outreach initiatives. Director of the Academic Anxiety Resource Center (AARC) and the Ball State Research Design Studio (RDS).

3. AARC The Academic Anxiety Resource Center (AARC) is an online resource that promotes awareness and understanding for topics related to anxieties experienced by learners in academic settings. Visit our website: espace.bsu.edu/aarcto access more information related to recognizing the signs and symptoms of academic-related anxieties and suggestions for how to better cope.

4. Today’s Presentation • Overview of Academic Anxieties • Prevalence • Impacts • Causes • Underlying theories to explain and treat academic anxieties • Strategies

5. Test Anxiety: Definitions & Prevalence Anxious response evoked by test situations (Mandler & Sarason, 1952). • Worry vs emotionality (Liebert & Morris, 1967) • Focus on “types” of worry (Sarason, 1984) • Various profiles of test anxiety (Zeidner, 1998) • Learning-testing cycle perspective • Biological, Social, Cognitive dimensions Loose estimations provided (but the general finding is that between 30 and 60% of students report some form of examination/test anxiety).

6. Why ”Academic Anxiety?” Fragmentation in the broad perspective for practitioners when faced with a student experiencing various forms of “academic anxieties” • Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Internalizing Emotional Behavior Disorder • Various content/contextual anxieties • “School phobia”

7. Test Anxiety and PAI Subscales Correlation of the CTAR with the PAI Correlation of the CTAR with the PAI

8. Cassady, Pierson, & Starling (2019) • Academic Anxiety is a more general form of anxiety that mimics the test anxiety construct – but on a less specific dimension • “Nested” representation of anxiety: • Neuroticism  Academic Anxiety  Test Anxiety (progressive specificity) • Academic anxiety predicts depression; and may demonstrate a precursor warning for depressive disorders

9. Test Anxiety and Performance Views

10. Challenge X Skill Brosnan & Goodison, 2010 Novak, Hoffman, & Yung, 1997

11. Academic Anxieties Common Causes • Prior failures • Classical conditioning • Parental/societal expectations • Perfectionism • Goals • Motivational set • Perseveration on failure • Attentional biases Common Consequences • Cognitive overload • Cognitive interference • Negative self-image • Avoidance • Procrastination • Self handicapping • Withdrawal • Overgeneralization of failures

12. 1.5 1.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 Cognitive Test Anxiety Cognitive Test Anxiety -0.5 -0.5 -1.0 -1.0 -1.5 -1.5 -2.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 Goal Orientation Continuum Expectancy for Success Dimensions of Motivation & Test Anxiety Goal Orientation Continuum Expectancy for Success

13. 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 Cognitive Test Anxiety Cognitive Test Anxiety 0.0 0.0 Cognitive Test Anxiety Cognitive Test Anxiety -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 -0.5 -1.0 -1.0 -1.5 -1.5 -1.0 -1.0 -0.5 -0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 -0.5 -0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 Personal Responsibility Personal Responsibility Active Engagement Active Engagement Dimensions of Self-Regulation & Test Anxiety Dimensions of Self-Regulation & Test Anxiety Personal Responsibility Personal Responsibility Active Engagement Active Engagement F(4.12, 5.14) = 2.46, p < .03 F(4.12, 5.14) = 2.46, p < .03 F(1, 1) = 11.62, p < .0001 F(1, 1) = 11.62, p < .0001

14. Signs and Symptoms • Cognitive Symptoms • Cognitive Distraction • unable to concentrate, easily distracted by noise, uncomfortable temperatures, and even people walking by • Cognitive Overload • Too much information at once, intruding thoughts • Anxiety blockage • unable to think effectively about studying for & taking test; forgetting things you know well

15. Signs and Symptoms • Physical Symptoms & “Tension” • Fidgeting, “butterflies” in stomach, quickened heart rate or breathing, nausea, sweaty palms, or a headache • Behavioral Symptoms • Avoiding the tasks, procrastination, working on unrelated tasks

16. Emotional Information Processing ModelCassady & Boseck (2008); Cassady & Thomas, 2019 • Functional model for encoding, interpreting, and acting upon environmental and personal stimuli • Applies a basic information processing network solution to emotional information • Builds upon: • Bandura’s conception for Human Agency and social cognitive learning • Crick & Dodge’s Social Information Processing model • Lazarus & Folkman’s transactional model for self-regulation • Carver & Sheier’s explanation for the role of developing and implementing coping resources

17. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources

18. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources

19. ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources Attend to stimuli Perceive/Interpret stimuli Attention “filter” leads to biases

20. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources Perceived Threat Level Personal risk factors Identify source of anxiety

21. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources Approach/Avoidance Self-regulatory control Initiate coping strategies

22. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation Self-regulation process Refer to KB & Goals Steady reliance on habit

23. CUE INTERPRETATION • Attributions • Mental representation • Emotional reflection • ENCODING • Internal emotions • External/Social cues • Situational variables • KNOWLEDGE BASE • Past experiences • Social expectations • Cultural norms • Effective goals • Effective coping processes • Rules and guidelines • Tacit knowledge • Situation/Event • External agents • Personal emotions • Context factors • GOAL ARTICULATION • Establish expectations • Identify personal needs • Examine resources • ENACTMENT • Perform chosen action • Evaluate successfulness • Examine revised situation • RESPONSE SELECTION & PREDICTION • Generate possible actions • Evaluate efficacy • Coping mechanisms • Examine resources Act upon selected strategy

24. Implications and Suggestions • Must avoid tendency to lump all specific anxieties together while balancing need for general model to serve practitioners • Use EIP (or various other diagnostic models) to identify strategies for mitigating anxiety responses • De-mystify anxiety responses as only “clinical” issues • Involve parents and teachers in identification and intervention efforts

25. The Impact of Math Anxiety for Gifted Learners Jerrell Cassady, Natalie Schelling, Rebecca Pierce, & Cheryll Adams Ball State University NAGC 2013 60TH ANNUAL CONVENTION INDIANAPOLIS, IN

26. Results Child Math Anxiety correlations: • Teacher: Teaching Efficacy: r = -.41, p < .02 • Parent: Responsiveness: r = .34, p < .05 • Child: Academic Efficacy: r = -.64, p < .001 • Child: Academic Press: r = -.43, p < .01 • Child: Avoid Novelty: r = .48, p < .005

27. Math Anxiety Prediction

28. Teachers and Math Anxiety Implications • Promoting teacher confidence and skill in math supports positive attitudes and behaviors toward math • Provided math coaches afforded teachers instructional support resources that overcame self-identified content and pedagogical-content knowledge • Structured and supported (long-term) PD for differentiated math instruction to gifted learners promoted teacher skills, which appear to translate into fewer adverse responses for students • Elimination of standard “Math Myths” discussed

29. General Issues for Academic anxiety • Causes • Consequences • Interventions

30. Contributors

31. Keys to Prevent Test Anxiety • Set GOALS to get started & stay motivated • Start PREPARING well in advance • Develop good TIME MANAGEMENT • Create an ENVIRONMENT conducive to study • Utilize effective STUDY STRATEGIES • TAKE CARE of yourself

32. Reframing Strategies • Reinterpretation of environmental indicators • Social Cues • Comparison with others • Minimize attention to “pleasing” others or competing • Goal orientation • Re-examine personal skill levels (self-efficacy)

33. PREPARE & MANAGE your time

34. Study ENVIRONMENT • Select or create a study space that is set up to help you study effectively. Make sure you: • select a convenient time when you are most alert • are comfortable • use a spacious area to easily access your materials • have everything with you that you might need • minimize distracters and interruptions • people, phone, noise (tv, music)

35. STUDY STRATEGIES

36. STUDY STRATEGIES

37. Keys to Reduce Test Anxiety • Keep some PERSPECTIVE • Remember that some anxiety is good • What is the real significance of the test? • Utilize RELAXATION Techniques • Focus on POSITIVE “SELF TALK”

38. RELAXATION Techniques In order to relax, you must activate the body’s natural relaxation response. These various techniques can help: • Deep Breathing Meditation • A powerful, easy and quick technique to help you slow your breathing and better control the ‘stress’ reaction • Hypnotherapy Relaxation • Helps you achieve a deeply relaxed and focused state in which the mind is guided away from thoughts or worry into a more tranquil and peaceful place

39. RELAXATION Techniques

40. RELAXATION Techniques • Progressive Muscle Relaxation • Involves tensing and relaxing of specific muscle groups while breathing deeply • Progress sequentially through various muscles in body • Yoga for Stress Relief • Using postures and breathing to improve mental and physical state • Yoga Breathing Exercise (Pranayama) • Specifically use breathing exercises to achieve mental relaxation

41. The Power of SELF-TALK • A lot of anxiety comes from negative self-talk • “I’ll neverpass this test…” • “If I fail, I’ll never…” • Think about your statements and restructure them to reflect more realistic, positive thinking • “Yes, this test is important, but it is just one grade in this class” • “I will be ok, I can do this” • “I know that I will do better next time” • Be confident in your abilities • “I am capable of passing this test” • “I am going to do well because I prepared as best as I could” • Stay away from other negative talkers – only fuels anxiety

42. For additional support or information, contact: Academic Anxiety Resource Center website: www.academicanxiety.org @AcademicAnx or email: jccassady@bsu.edu