TEST ANXIETY, BELOW-CAPACITY PERFORMANCE, AND POOR TEST-PERFORMANCE -INTRASUBJECT APPROACH WITH VIOLIN STUDENTS

The study investigated the relationships of test anxiety to below-capa city performance in a test and to poor test performance. Students of t he Music Conservatory were used as subjects. Their performance level d uring music lessons (low stress condition) and in a musical examinatio n was rated; test anxiety was measured by a questionnaire. Below-capac ity performance in the test (i.e. case, in which the subject's perform ance was significantly worse in the examination than during the lesson s) was related to high test anxiety and low educational level. Poor te st performance as indicated by a low grade was associated with high te st anxiety, low amount of practicing, and slow progress in studies. Th e findings are discussed in the context of the cognitive-attentional m odel and the dual-deficit model.