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Cognitive Behavioral Model of Test Anxiety in a High-Stakes Context: An Exploratory Study

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Abstract

A cognitive behavioral model of test anxiety among school-aged children has yet to be empirically evaluated. The present study evaluates a cognitive behavioral model of test anxiety occurring in a high-stakes context using structural equation modeling. A sample of 1,248 high school students in six high schools completed measures of test anxiety, self-efficacy, school climate, perceived test importance, and demographic information to evaluate a proposed test anxiety model that includes cognitive processes, learning experiences, demographic characteristics, social context, and environmental contingencies as predictors. The resulting model suggests a dynamic interplay among variables and significantly advances our understanding of the factors related to the manifestation of test anxiety in a high-stakes context. Implications for assessment, treatment, and research with test anxiety are considered.

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Notes

  1. The “Midwest Merit Exam” is a pseudonym.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA

    Natasha K. Segool

  2. Department of Psychology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

    Nathaniel P. von der Embse

  3. Department of Psychology, The University of Findlay, Findlay, OH, USA

    Andrea D. Mata

  4. Boys Town Central Florida, Oviedo, FL, USA

    Jason Gallant

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  1. Natasha K. Segool
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  2. Nathaniel P. von der Embse
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  3. Andrea D. Mata
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  4. Jason Gallant
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Correspondence to Natasha K. Segool.

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Segool, N.K., von der Embse, N.P., Mata, A.D. et al. Cognitive Behavioral Model of Test Anxiety in a High-Stakes Context: An Exploratory Study. School Mental Health 6, 50–61 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-013-9111-7

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