PERFORMANCE REALISM IN TEST-ANXIOUS STUDENTS

Twenty-four high test-anxious and 24 low test-anxious students complet ed two cognitive tasks under either high or low performance demand man ipulations. Before each task subjects rated anxiety levels and perform ance expectations, with performance evaluations being conducted follow ing completion of each task. Results revealed lower actual, anticipate d and self-evaluated performance scores for high test-anxious students compared to their low test-anxious counterparts. Expected and self-ev aluated performance ratings were then compared with actual performance . No difference was found between high and low test-anxious subjects i n terms of the discrepancy between expected and actual performance. Bo th groups of students tended to be overoptimistic in their performance predictions. However, following the first cognitive task the test-anx ious group demonstrated accurate self-evaluation, whereas the low test -anxious group were overoptimistic in their self-evaluation. This effe ct was not found for the second task, on which both groups were accura te in their performance-evaluation. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive theories of anxiety, self-focussed attention and realism amongst test-anxious students.