This study aimed at investigating the role of hope and study skills in predicting test anxiety levels of female and male university students. The sample consisted of 442 students from four different undergraduate programs of Faculty of Education at Ege University. Turkish version of State Hope Scale (SHS, Snyder, 1996), Turkish form of Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS, Akman &amp / Korkut, 1993), Study Skills Scale (SSI, Y*ld*r*m, Do*anay &amp / T&uuml / rko*lu, 2000) and Turkish form of Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI, Albayrak-Kaymak,1985 / &Ouml / ner, 1986 / 1990 / &Ouml / ner &amp / Albayrak Kaymak, 1986) were used for data collection. Adaptation study of the SHS and validity and reliability studies of the SSI were also conducted as part of the study. For the purpose of investigating the role of hope and study skills in predicting worry and emotionality dimensions of test anxiety, four stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for the worry and emotionality subscales scores of females and males. SHS scores, DHS scores, Course Participation subscale scores and Effective Reading subscale scores appeared as significant predictors for the emotionality scores, whereas SHS scores, Course Participation subscale scores and Effective Reading subscale scores emerged as significant predictors of the worry scores for the female group. The State Hope Scale (SHS) scores, Preparation for Exams subscale score, the Dispositional Hope Scale Scores (DHS), and Listening Subscale scores predicted the emotionality scores of the male students, and the State Hope Scale (SHS) scores, Preparation for Exams subscale, the Dispositional Hope, Motivation subscale, Health and Nutrition subscale and Writing Subscale scores predicted the worry scores of the male students.

Test taking can produce elevated stress and anxiety, with subsequent negative influences on test performance. This has been a focus of prior research. However, only a few studies have explored how coping strategies and perceived social support affect relationships between academic stress, test anxiety, and test performance particularly in China. Therefore, this study investigated relationships among academic stress, test anxiety, coping strategies, perceived social support and test performance in a Chinese high school sample. Specifically, this study tested the moderating effects of coping strategies and perceived social support on the relationships between academic stress, test anxiety, and test performance. Four hundred and fifty Chinese high school students completed four surveys: 1) Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI; Spielberger et al., 1980) - Chinese Version, 2) Academic Stress Scale (ASS; Kohn & Frazer, 1986)-Chinese Version, 3) Simplified Coping Styles Questionnaire (SCSQ; Xie, 1998), and 4) A revised Chinese version of the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1998). Scores from the pre-National College Entrance Exam (pre-NCEE) were obtained from the school. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that academic stress was positively related to students’ test anxiety and negatively related to their academic test performance. Test anxiety had a negative relationship to test performance. While active coping was not found to moderate the relationships among academic stress, test anxiety, and academic performance, perceived parent support and perceived other support moderated the relationships between test anxiety and test performance as well as between academic stress and test anxiety. These moderation effects were in a different direction than predicted as there were stronger relationships between test anxiety and test performance, and between academic stress and test anxiety, when students reported higher levels of perceived parent support or other support. This study contributes to the research literature by exploring the integrative relationships among academic stress, test anxiety, test performance, coping strategies, and perceived social support. Findings of this study and related literature are considered for public policy and the design of training programs aimed at assisting Chinese high school students cope with academic stress and test anxiety.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Texas Christian University, 2006. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed Jan. 5, 2007). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2010. / Title from title screen (viewed 7/7/2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-55).

This study focused on two major areas of investigation: (1) locus of control and (2) the influence on test performance of anxiety and motivation. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of programmed instruction dealing with motivation, anxiety, and test-wiseness as a means of enhancing group intelligence test performance of externalizing children. While earlier research demonstrated the viability of this technique x^ith a heterogeneous sample, no studies have utilized any kind of instruction to facilitate the performance of externalizers on standardized tests. It was hypothesized that intelligence test performance would be enhanced by programmed instruction. Furthermore, externalizers were expected to demonstrate greater gains than internalizers, which would thereby suggest that locus of control provides a source of variance in intellectual assessment.

Literature reports that test anxiety may have an influence on aptitude test performance for some racial groups and therefore serves as a source of bias (Zeidner, 1998). Testing organisations have also found that individuals from African groups perform poorly on measures of fluid intelligence, putting them at a disadvantage when these scores are used for selection and training purposes. The current study examines a model defining the relationship between test anxiety, attentional resources and fluid intelligence in the following manner: an increase in test anxiety will result in a decrease of attentional resources as well as a decrease in fluid intelligence. With a decrease in attentional resources we will see a negative influence on fluid intelligence and test performance for different racial groups. Twenty-five African individuals and twenty-five individuals from Caucasian racial groups have set the stage to answer the question if certain groups experience higher test anxiety and thus perform poorly on fluid intelligence measures. Significant relationships were found, within and between groups, for attentional resources and fluid intelligence. Meanwhile, other factors, such as test anxiety, were not strongly associated with fluid intelligence performance. Future research into reasons why certain racial groups display lower overall attention in testing situations is suggested in order to ensure that tests for selection and training and aptitude tests are fair to all racial groups. / Psychology / M.A. Soc. Sc.(Psychology)

No description available.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Ed. / The situation in education in Soweto in the 1980's was an important contributory factor to this study. Problems resulting from underachievement, early school drop-out and the consequent loss of manpower provision, are current and are often ascribed to inadequate achievement motivation. As part of the project "Learning motivation" which has been undertaken by the Education Faculty of the Rand Afrikaanse University, inter-disciplinary in approach and financially supported by HSRC, this study attempts to locate achievement motivation in the anthropological-pedagogic paradigm. Within the context of black education, it is particularly aimed at devising measuring instruments for the establishment of reliable and valid measures of achievement motivation for standards six, eight and ten pupils in Soweto. It also attempts to establish whether there is any tendency in the achievement motivation between these different standards and certain biographical information with the objective of setting up a possible guidance programme which would endeavour to strenghten the achievement motivation of these pupils. A number of theories on motivation, learning- and achievement motivation were studied. Direct and indirect measuring techniques to determine the level of achievement motivation were then considered. Eventually it was decided to include Viljoen's (1983) achievement motivation questionnaire (AMQ) and Hermans' (1972) "Prestatie Motivatie Test voor Kinderen" (PMT-K) in the questionnaire booklet. This booklet comprised the following tests: the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ), the aspiration level test, the Prestatie Motivatie Test voor Kinderen (PMT-K), the Modernity Scale of Thompson (1977 & 1980) and questions to gather biographical data. The AMQ consists of eighty items of which eight indicate social desirability, while the rest indicate certain characteristics, as derived from the study of the literature, of the achievement motivated person. The PMT-K consists of four achievement motivation scales namely achievement motive, positive fear of failure, negative fear of failure and social desirability. These two questionnaires·are used in an attempt to determine the scholastic achievement motivation and fear of failure of standards six, eight and ten pupils in different secondary schools in Soweto (N = 778). A further in-depth study using the projective Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) of Baran (1971) was undertaken with a small group of standard six pupils, but the results of this investigation were not significant. Statistical calculations were applied to the data to determine the reliability and validity of the measures of the AMQ and PMT-K. Furthermore an attempt was made to determine whether there were any significant differences between the achievement motivation and fear of failure of standard six pupils and a number of biographical information. The results of the study led to the following conclusions: = the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire appears to be effective in determining the achievement motivation of standard six pupils in Soweto; = further research and refinement of the AMQ and PMT-K are necessary to develop possible reliable and valid measures of achievement motivation in standards eight and ten:= in-depth research is necessary with regard to the fear of failure as one of the components of the nomological network in which achievement motivation operates; it appears that significant differences exist in the achievement motivation of standard s.Lx pupils when some biographical aspects are considered. These differences should be taken into consideration in devising a guidance programme for these children.

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract