Stress, anxiety, and cognitive interference: Reactions to tests.

Abstract

The nature of test anxiety and its relationships to performance and cognitive interference are analyzed from the standpoint of attentional processes. A new instrument to assess dimensions of reactions to tests is presented, and its psychometric properties are described. The scales of the Reactions to Tests questionnaire (Worry, Tension, Test-Irrelevant Thinking, Bodily Symptoms) were compared with regard to intellective performance and cognitive interference. The results were consistent with the idea that the problem of anxiety is, to a significant extent, a problem of intrusive thoughts that interfere with task-focused thinking. In the last of the three studies reported, it was shown that self-preoccupying intrusive thinking can be reduced by means of a task-focusing experimental condition. The studies suggest that the Reactions to Tests questionnaire may be useful in denning anxiety more sharply and improving understanding of how it relates to performance.

The cognitive and hedonic costs of dwelling on achievement-related negative experiences: Implications for enduring happiness and unhappiness.

“…Such thoughts are likely to intrude during important activities, as well as during trivial everyday tasks and chores. Research on cognitive interference shows that off-task cognitions deplete an individual's cognitive resources and raise demands on attentional capacity (e.g., Mikulincer, 1989;Pierce et al, 1998;Sarason, 1984;cf. Sarason, Pierce, & Sarason, 1996).…”

“…For example, in a series of studies, dysphoric students induced to ruminate about themselves and their moods spent more time completing both important and trivial academic tasks and reported having more difficulty concentrating while performing those tasks than dysphoric students induced to distract themselves (Lyubomirsky, Kasri, & Zehm, 2003). Cognitive interference has also been shown to be a critical mediator of the relationship between poor performance and social anxiety, test anxiety, stress, and worry (Klinger, 1984;Mathews, 1990;Sarason, 1984;Segal, 1996). In the current research, we propose that unhappy individuals faced with unflattering achievement-oriented feedback will experience a similar form of cognitive interference and, as a result, will endure similar negative consequences.…”

Bilişsel Davranışçı Yaklaşıma Dayalı Grupla Psikolojik Danışma Uygulamasının 8. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Sınav Kaygısına Etkisi

“…Sınav kaygısı herhangi bir sınav, değerlendirme ya da başarısızlığın olası olduğu durumlarda ortaya çıkan, hoş olmayan duyguların ve gerginliğin yaşandığı, bilişsel, duyuşsal, davranışsal özellikleriyle bireyin gerçek performansını ortaya koymasını engelleyen süreçler olarak tanımlanmaktadır (Dusek, 1980;Sarason, 1984;Sieber, 1980;Spielberger, 1980;Spielberger ve Vagg, 1995;Zeidner, 1998).…”

Structural Modeling on the Relationship between Basic Psychological Needs, Academic Engagement, and Test Anxiety

“…Therefore, it seems that negative and ineffective thoughts interfere with cognitive process on exam session, and result in diminishing students' performance (Crişan & Copaci, 2015). Students who suffer from test anxiety have negative evaluation from their performance (Sarason, 1984). Considering Bandura's cognition-social model (1997) students with having anxiety shows low level of his/her competence.…”