A policy-capturing study of the contextual antecedents of test anxiety

Whereas the consequences of test anxiety have been much researched, little work has investigated the relative importance of contextual antecedents of test anxiety. One hundred and four undergraduate psychology students participated in a policy-capturing study designed to assess intra-individual differences in test anxiety due to four contextual antecedents. Results show that changes in the purpose of the test (e.g., evaluative versus developmental) and self-confidence are more important determinants of intra-individual differences in expected anxiety than are changes in test familiarity and what the test is measuring (e.g., a skill versus an ability). In addition, inter-individual differences in the intra-individual reactions to the cues are associated with gender, age, ability, and trait anxiety.