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72 CHAPTER 3attempting to review the five most difficult chapters in one night, or
procrastination that will further erode their study effectiveness.
Finally, in the test-taking stage, students attempt to retrieve what they
have learned, often faced with great physical tension and worry. Anx-
iety, at this stage, interferes with the retrieval of information. As the
semester progresses, the processes repeats itself every time there is an
examination. More specifically, the type of attribution to the feedback
on the first test—either success or failure—influences how one will
achieve on the next test. For example, if a poor performance is attrib-
uted to low ability, then shame is likely to occur and the effectiveness
of study preparation is likely to be seen. This process can vary in dura-
tion from a few hours to weeks or even months.
Let’s look at a specific example of how the process may operate.
Phil arrives at college wanting to be a pharmacist, a career choice that
pleased his parents and impressed his friends. Unfortunately, Phil didn’t
take all the science courses in high school that would have better pre-
pared him for this major. As a result, he starts his freshman year tak-
ing three science courses. To make matters worse, Phil is a chronic
procrastinator who put off tasks until the last minute because he relies
on his superior intellect to get him through difficult tasks. Phil learned
early in the semester that he couldn’t wait until the last minute to
study for exams like he did in high school. He received two Cs and
a D in his first-semester grades. He decided not to be discouraged and
that he would show his parents and friends that he could succeed by
working very hard the second semester.
Now, let’s see how anxiety influences his behavior during the three
stages—appraisal, preparation, and test taking.Appraisal Stage. As he sits in the first session of his psychology course
in the second semester of his freshman year, he listens to the instruc-
tor review the course requirements. Suddenly, he feels very uncom-
fortable and starts thinking whether he will flunk out of school. He
becomes preoccupied with the thought that he will be found out as
incompetent.Preparation Stage. The first exam is approaching, and Phil needs to start
studying. The problem is that he again has procrastinated and knows
that he will have difficulty reviewing all the material. Most important,
however, he begins to doubt whether he can succeed and is preoccu-
pied with worry. He has difficulty concentrating on reading his text-
book; he starts thinking that perhaps he is not smart enough to become
a pharmacist; he wonders if he would do better if he had a more inter-
esting teacher. As a result of his negative perceptions, he spends little
time studying and more time watching television and playing video
games. The result is that he is unprepared for his examination.