Academic Self-Concept and Test Anxiety in Academically Successful Community College Students
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Authors
Capozzo, Christopher L.
Issue Date
2009
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between academic self-concept and test anxiety in academically high-achieving community college students. A sample of 129 students (87 women and 38 men) completed Spielberger's Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI; 1.977) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; 1983) and four academic scales from Marsh's (1992) Self-Description Questionnaire III (SDQ-III), along with a demographic questionnaire that assessed participants' grade point averages (GPA). Participants with a GPA of 3.30 or higher were defined as academically high-achieving (n = 64). Results revealed a significant inverse relationship between academic self-concept and measures of test anxiety; participants with higher levels of test anxiety tended to score lower on measures of academic self-concept. In particular, the associations between academic self-concept and the cognitive ("worry") aspect of test anxiety tended to be stronger than the associations between academic self-concept and overall test anxiety levels or the emotional and physiological ("emotionality") aspect of test anxiety. Moreover, noteworthy differences were found between high-achieving and lower-achieving participants regarding the aspects of academic self-concept that were related to test anxiety. Differences between these two groups were also found regarding the extent to which academic self-concept was related specifically to test anxiety as opposed to more general measures of trait anxiety. These results suggest that among high-achieving community college students, academic self-concept does not represent an objective appraisal of actual performance but rather is influenced by test anxiety and anxious cognitions. These findings may have important implications for professionals and educators working with academically successful test-anxious students.