SHRINKITOUT

CLICK
ME

Test Anxiety

|
June 18, 2021

Test anxiety is a psychological condition characterized by intense fear and excessive stress in an exam, which lowers performance ability. Can you relate to this? What are the symptoms of test anxiety? What are the causes? How can it be treated?

 

The article will cover the following points:

·     What is test anxiety?

·     What can cause test anxiety?

·     How can we decrease test anxiety?

 

What is test anxiety?

A bit of stress can help you perform at optimal levels, as high arousal levels can contribute to an efficient performance. However, when this stress or anxiety is considered overwhelming, it can negatively affect your performance in an examination. This phenomenon is called test anxiety.

You may have prepared well; you are aware of the information you had to learn, and you have acquired the knowledge. But your mind still goes blank, you feel like you are unable to retrieve information…

Not everyone shows the same levels of test anxiety. When symptoms are mild, there is less interference with test performance. On the other hand, if symptoms of test anxiety are severe, individuals’ performance is impaired and may even cause a panic attack.

The physical symptoms of test anxiety involve sweating, shaking, fast heartbeat, fainting [1]. More severe symptoms include nausea and vomiting [3]. In addition, symptoms can also be cognitive and behavioral [3]. For instance, avoidance strategies may come in play, like not going to class, while some might even turn to alcohol and drugs.Problems with concentration, learning, memory, and negative self-talk are also common symptoms. Lastly, the emotional type of symptoms focusses on decreased self-esteem, fear, anger, hopelessness or even depression [3].

 

What can cause test anxiety?

The cause of test anxiety is not usually attributed to one sole factor, but a combination of effects [3].

A possible cause of test anxiety if unpreparedness[4]. That is, your anxiety depends on how prepared you are. Moreover, the fear and urge to avoid failure might affect test anxiety, by placing a lot of pressure on yourself [4]. Previous unsatisfactory testing experience can also create anxiety and a less positive attitude

towards future tests [4].

This psychological condition can also be attributed to biological causes [3]. Adrenaline is a hormone released when we are feeling stressed, such as right before taking an exam. This hormone is involved in the“fight-or-flight” response, a response that provides two options: to deal with the stressful situation or avoid it. Many times, adrenaline aids in dealing with stressful events by making you feel alert. Other times, however, the stress symptoms can become so exaggerated, disturbing the individual’s concentration and attention while taking a test. The presence of the physical symptoms mentioned above make the stress symptoms worse.

Mental causes should be considered too, such as expectations [3].To be more precise, it is more likely to exhibit test anxiety if you expect abad grade on an examination result. This process can be presented as a vicious cycle. By already having a stressful experience in an exam, individuals focus on a fear of the fact that it might happen again in increased anxiety levels, which later leads them to feel helpless.

How can we decrease test anxiety?

1.    Oneway to decrease test anxiety is to prepare as well as possible, you should feel comfortable and confident about the information and knowledge that will be tested [3].

2.    Try to disconfirm any negative thoughts that might come to your mind [3].As it was mentioned earlier, negative thoughts that harm your self-esteem, such as “I do not think I can do this”, feed the vicious cycle of test anxiety.

3.    Make sure you have slept enough hours. It has been shown that sleep increases your concentration and memory levels [2].

4.    If you feel anxious during the test, take a few deep breaths, and complete the exam step by step [2]. By taking those deep breaths your body will become more relaxed and you will feel calmer 

5.    Try some relaxation techniques before you got to bed or before your exam: body scan, guided imagery, breath focus…

6.    Don’t listen to those who say that test anxiety is not a thing! It can truly affect you.

7.    Some people may also turn to a therapist and be treated with medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy!

If you are interested and would like to know more, here are some additional resources:

1.    TestAnxiety - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FsgwLWdSS8

2.    How to Overcome Test Anxiety - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PgEIlewf7Y

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

1.     Gotter, A. (2017, April 25). WhatIs Test Anxiety? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/test-anxiety

2.     Test anxiety: Can it be treated? (2017, August 3). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/expert-answers/test-anxiety/faq-20058195

3.     Test Anxiety Can Make It Difficultto Do Well on Exams.(2021). Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-test-anxiety-2795368

4.     UNC-Chapel Hill Learning Center.(2021, February 4). Test Anxiety –. Learning Center. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/

 

‍

Latest articles in

Clinical Psychology

April 17, 2023

What Happens to Our Body When We Experience Anxiety?

January 2, 2023

Are These Mushrooms Magic? The Psilocybin Psychedelic

You have all probably heard about the famous “magic mushrooms” or “magic truffles'', which are legal in The Netherlands. Since I live in the Netherlands, I have heard way too much information, positive and negative, about these hallucinogens. Prompted by my own curiosity, I did research on the substance contained in these “fungi”, and ended up finding many studies related to psychology! The substance is named psilocybin and although it is dominated by a cultural stigma attached to its hallucinogenic effect, numerous studies have proven that it has potential therapeutic benefits for some mental conditions. Let’s take a closer look.

October 17, 2022

Panic Disorder

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear followed by cognitive and somatic symptoms such as losing breath, increased heart rate, and having a numb feeling in your hands. Panic disorder is a mental disorder defined by recurring panic attacks that become chronic, and a constant fear that the attack might occur again. People experiencing this disorder have the tendency to adopt maladaptive behaviors such as avoidance of certain places, people, or situations to prevent the attacks to occur.

Latest articles in

all themes

November 28, 2022

Passion, Obsession, and the Art it Makes

What awakens the madman within us when it comes to passion and obsession? Where is the fine line between the two? There is no better place to start looking for answers than art.

Culture and Diversity
February 6, 2023

Self-Forgiveness: Why Is It So Hard?

Most of us have been hurt by others several times. And of course, this comes with a lot of pain, anger, and sadness. And then, being full of negative and painful feeling, we feel the need to blame the responsible ones. Those feelings can haunt us, until we manage to forgive the one who hurt / betrayed us. Forgiveness does not mean that we forget the harm and the pain we suffered or that we should rebuild the relationship with those that hurt us. Forgiveness means that we let go of the resentment, anger, guiltiness, shame, and sadness, accepting the whole experience and moving on [1]. Forgiving the others can be quite challenging. But what happens when the perpetrator is us? What if it us that caused all the painful, guilty, hostile, and shameful feeling? According to research, it is much harder to forgive ourselves that the others.

The Self
October 17, 2022

Panic Disorder

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear followed by cognitive and somatic symptoms such as losing breath, increased heart rate, and having a numb feeling in your hands. Panic disorder is a mental disorder defined by recurring panic attacks that become chronic, and a constant fear that the attack might occur again. People experiencing this disorder have the tendency to adopt maladaptive behaviors such as avoidance of certain places, people, or situations to prevent the attacks to occur.

Clinical Psychology
March 13, 2023

The Difficulty of Self-Disclosure in Romantic Relationships

One of the most intimate experiences in a romantic relationship is the gradual process of revealing your more personal and vulnerable thoughts and feelings to another. While it can be frightening, it can form the basis of a beautiful, meaningful relationship based on trust and intimacy. But why do some people find it more difficult to self-disclose than others? This article tries to explore the meaning and difficulty of self-disclosure in the context of romantic relationships.

Sex and Love
May 2, 2022

Mindfulness and Sexual Desire: Treating Female Sexual Interest Disorder

‍The multi-billion-dollar industry with the little blue drug to treat the erectile disorder, viagra, is booming. However, a similar wonder drug has not been introduced for women’s sexual problems. The lack of medicine is not, however, an indication that women do not suffer from sexual problems… There are, indeed, many women struggling from a lack of desire and arousal. Mindfulness has been proposed as a solution to these issues, and that will be the focus of this article.

Mindfulness and Meditation