Cognitions, test anxiety, and test performance: A closer look.

Used a thought-listing procedure to investigate the cognitions of 207 undergraduates who varied in test anxiety (high, moderate, low), as measured by the Test Anxiety Scale, and past achievement levels (high, low). Ss were assessed at different points (beginning, middle, end) during a final exam. The dependent variables included 7 categories of thoughts, semantic differential scales to assess the meaning of tests, and exam grade. Results generally replicate previous research findings with the exception that thought-list generated cognitions did not vary as a function of test anxiety level per se. It is concluded that (1) there is no significant relationship between test anxiety and performance on an in-course exam, (2) there is no significant relationship between frequency of cognitions and exam performance, and (3) different cognitive assessment methods may yield different pictures of cognitive phenomena. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)