This study was designed to determine whether or not students' emotions and coping would change during stages of an examination. If changes in emotions and coping were recorded at different phases of an examination, then these findings would substantiate the position that stress and coping are processes. In addition, the research attempted to determine whether or not mediating factors would influence students' reactions to the examination encounter. The mediating factors that were examined were personality traits, cognitive appraisals, stress emotions, and coping strategies. One hundred-seventeen student volunteers from four sections of college mathematic classes participated in this study. They were asked to complete four sets of questionnaires on their reactions to tests. The instruments used for measuring personality traits were The Reactions to Tests Scale (Test Anxiety), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Test Efficacy Scale. Emotions were assessed with the Stress Emotions Scale; cognitive appraisal was measured by The Stakes and Difficulty of the Examination Scale; and coping was assessed by the Ways of Coping Checklist. Eleven hypotheses were tested in this study. The statistical procedure for the first two hypotheses was the T test. In addition, a Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was computed to test for significant relationships for the remaining nine hypotheses. Regressions were used for variables which showed significant correlations with the personality trait measures in order to explain variations in emotions. Seven of the null hypotheses were rejected. The following conclusions we~e drawn from the study: 1. In some respects, stress and coping can be defined as a process. 2. The mediating factors, appraisal and coping, did influence the students' emotional reactions to the examination. 3. The mediating factor, personality traits, did influence the students' emotional and behavioral reactions to the examination. In view of the findings, it is recommended that: 1. Further research be conducted on examination stress in order to convincingly substantiate that stress and coping are processes. 2. Counselors and educators in higher education develop testing procedures that facilitate students' test-taking ability. 3. Counseling services in higher education be designed to enhance the performance and comfort level of highly test-anxious students. / Graduation date: 1987

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University. / Bibliography: leaves 67-73.

Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 45 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-35).

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-49).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-57).

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-72).

Thesis--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. / Also available via the Internet.

Theses (Ed.S.)--Marshall University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains 13 p. Bibliography: page 13.

M.A. (Industrial Psychology) / In reviewing current literature on the evaluation of people, it is clear that the effect of test anxiety accompanying the evaluation process may be detrimental to the individual's performance. In fact, this under achievement of apprentices doing trade tests have significant financial implications for both the individual and the organization concerned. Accordingly, to counteract this adverse effect, it has been recommended that the technique "Stress Inoculation Training" (SIT) be implemented - the end result being an improvement in the individuals' performance. Theoretical persepectives and alternative conceptual understandings of test anxiety are reviewed. In this respect an important development in the field of test anxiety treatment is research dealing with the reinforcement of the individual's ability to cope with stressful and problematic situations, for when test anxiety is reduced the person experiences a corresponding increase in self-efficacy. Self-efficacy plays an important role in a person's belief that he or she can perform to achieve a desired result. In addition, a high degree of self-efficacy has a strong motivational effect. It is suggested therefore, that learning experiences be so designed as to improve self-efficacy, perseverance and performance. This performance can be achieved by the skills taught in SIT. It is also stressed that SIT is a comprehensive approach for the control of stress-related problems.

Of the eight hundred Ball State University freshman and sophomore students surveyed to determine the incidence of those who identified themselves as test anxious, approximately thirty percent indicated that they suffered from test anxiety. The thirty-eight students who agreed to participate in the experiment and were included in the final data analysis were students at Ball State University, Winter Quarter, 1970-1971, and described themselves as test anxious to the point of suffering moderate to severe discomfort in test-taking situations.After pre-testing, subjects in Group I (traditional SD) and Group II (modified SD) received two hours' relaxation training and visual imagery training, after which they underwent SD in the following manner: Group I received SD based on Wolpe's model. That is, while in a relaxed state they were exposed to a standard hierarchy based on items from the Suinn Test Anxiety Behavior Scale. Group I did not proceed to a new hierarchy item if more than one person indicated more than minimal anxiety after four exposures the item. In the six desensitization sessions, Group I was exposed to 13 of the 17 hierarchy items. Group II proceeded through the same standard hierarchy under the same conditions, but at a predetermined rate without repeating any items. They were exposed to the 17 hierarchy items in six sessions.Group III received relaxation training only with no presentation of hierarchy items. Group IV received no to treatment.A multi-factor analysis of variance was computed for pre- and post-test scores on the three measures for the four groups. Posteriori orthogonal comparisons were made for contrasts showing significant differences. Both methods of desensitization as well as relaxation training were effective in significantly reducing test anxiety as reflected by subjects' post-treatment STABS scores. All three experimental groups experienced significately greater reduction of test anxiety than the control group: Group II, F 31.1564; Group III, F 12.0813; and Group I, 6.0133. Group I and Group III were not significantly different from each other in terms of test anxiety reduction. However, Group II experienced significantly greater reduction of test anxiety than Group I as measured by mean difference STABS scores (F 9.7996).Significant changes did. not occur in scores in the other two measures used in the study, with one exception. There were no significant differences in pre- and post-test scores on the general anxiety measure (TMAS) for any of the groups. Group I showed a significant loss on the scholastic achievement measure, and the trend for the other groups was toward loss rather than gain. The reasons for this are not clear, but some possibilities are listed in the text of the dissertation.The results of the study indicate that the three experimental techniques for treatment of test anxiety as measured by the STABS were viable treatment methods. The modified SD method (Group II) appeared to be superior to the other two treatment methods in effectiveness.