Test anxiety and physiological responses of primary school children to written exams: Emotional disposition, coping styles and parental caregiving style

The aim of the study was to assess emotional and physiological responses of primary school children to written exams, to assess inter-relations betwee n emotional and physiological responses and to determine relations to achie vement, emotional disposition, coping styles and parental caregiving style. Before and after a real and regular written school-test and for comparison also before and after a simulated school-test rest anxiety in terms of emo tionality and worry were assessed by questionnaire and saliva samples were collected for determination of cortisol and immunglobuline A in 23 4th grad e children. In addition, children filled out questionnaires for the assessm ent of tl ait anxiety, coping styles and mother' s and father's caregiving style. Coping styles and caregiving styles were also assessed from parental perspective. Exam-specific anxiety responses were found for both emotional ity and worry, in particular before the exam. Both cortisol and immune resp onses were challenge specific rather than exam specific, as they also occur red during the control situation. Both physiological systems were related t o the children's worry before the exam with high worry associated with high adrenocortical activity and low sIgA values, again independent of the exam context. Emotional disposition and parental caregiving style predicted emo tional responses during exam, while their influence on physiological respon ses seems to be mediated by the worry responses.