Psychology2016

580 CHAPTER 14

Applying Psychology to Everyday Life

Taking the Worry Out of Exams

14.17 Identify some ways to overcome test anxiety.

Imagine this scenario: You sit down to take your midterm exam, feeling that you are pre-

pared and ready. Once you get the test in front of you, well, maybe you start to feel just a

bit more nervous, your hands get sweaty, your stomach may ache; and when you look at

the first question—your mind becomes a complete blank!

These are a few of the common symptoms of test anxiety, the personal experience

of possible negative consequences or poor outcomes on an exam or evaluation, accom-

panied by a cluster of cognitive, affective, and behavioral symptoms (Zeidner & Matthews,

2005). Cognitive symptoms may consist of worrying excessively about an exam, expect-

ing to do poorly no matter how hard you study, or even finding it hard to start studying

in the first place. Then, while taking the test, you might find you do not understand cer-

tain directions or questions, “go blank” when looking at the items, or feel like you cannot

concentrate on the exam in front of you because your mind keeps wandering. Affective

or emotional symptoms may include body tension and heightened physiological arousal

including sweaty palms, upset stomach, difficulty breathing, and the like, prior to and/or

during the exam. Behavioral aspects may include procrastination, deficient study skills, or

avoiding studying altogether.

While not a clinical disorder, test anxiety has caused countless students considerable

stress and agony over the years. Remember “psychology student’s syndrome”? You may

not really have any of the psychological disorders we’ve discussed in this chapter, but

chances are good that you have experienced test anxiety a time or two. It is often easier to

address milder forms of anxiety before they escalate, and the main intent of this section is

to help you achieve that.

THINKING CRITICALLY

After reviewing the questions raised in the last paragraph above, identify at least two

information sources you would pursue and what data would you want to get from them.

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