Correlates, Causes, Effects, and Treatment of Test Anxiety

TLDR

Test anxiety is inversely related to self‑esteem, directly linked to fear of negative evaluation and other anxieties, and varies with ability, gender, and grade level. Effect sizes were calculated using Glass’s method and tested for consistency and significance with Hedges and Olkin’s inferential statistics. A meta‑analysis of 562 studies shows that test anxiety impairs performance, but various treatments effectively reduce anxiety and are associated with improved test scores and GPA.

Abstract

Results of 562 studies were integrated by meta-analysis to show the nature, effects, and treatment of academic test anxiety. Effect sizes were computed through the method invented by Glass ( Glass, McGaw, & Smith, 1981 ). Correlations and effect-size groups were tested for consistency and significance with inferential statistics by Hedges and Olkin (1985) . Test anxiety (TA) causes poor performance. It relates inversely to students’ self-esteem and directly to their fears of negative evaluation, defensiveness, and other forms of anxiety. Conditions (causes) giving rise to differential TA levels include ability, gender, and school grade level. A variety of treatments are effective in reducing test anxiety. Contrary to prior perceptions, improved test performance and grade point average (GPA) consistently accompany TA reduction.