Psychological Reports, 1976, 38, 1211-1215. @ Psychological Reports 1976
TEST ANXIEW AND THE ECONOMIC RECESSION ARLINE L. BRONZAFT
Herbert H . Lehman College
AND
STEPHEN B. DOBROW Fairleigh Dickinson University
Summnry.-The impact of the present economic recession on college students' attitudes toward school and the relationship of these reactions to testanxiety scores was investigated for two samples of college students, 142 attending a public college and 144 a private college. As hypothesized, students who reported that economic crisis resulted in increased desire to do well in school had higher facilitating and lower debilitating test-anxiety scores than those students who stated that economic recession caused them to worry more abouc rising educational costs and future job opportunities. Differences between findings for the private and public college were discussed.
When Bronzaft and Epstein ( 1973 ) reported increases in mean debilitating test-anxiety scores and decreases in mean facilitating test-anxiety scores at three colleges 5 yr. after an initial testing, they pointed to differences in the nature of the student populations between the earlier and later testings as a possible explanation. Yet another possible explanation may lie in the prevailing climate at the campuses at the different times. The late 1960's and early 1970's, marked by campus riots and protests, represented a time of student disenchantment with college policies as well as national priorities. Resentment toward college programs might have been reflected in more negative test-taking attitudes and feelings among the students tested during the 1970-72 period than those tested in 1965. Studies have already demonstrated that by varying experimental conditions, test anxiety may be raised or lowered depending on the arousal potential of the situation (Sarason, 1972; Wittmaier, 1974; Paul & Erikson, 1964). Therefore, on a broader scale, one might expect economic crises, wars, dissatisfaction with university and/or governmental policies, etc. to affect attitudes toward school, tests and grades. This could in turn explain mean college test-anxiety scores fluctuating over time. Bronzaft and Epstein (1973) did not, however, attempt to relate dissatisfaction with university and national priorities to scores of high and low test-anxious students. Since they only reported increases in mean debilitating test-anxiety scores, their data could not reflect differences, if any, between high and low anxious individuals. Spielberger (1972) in his state-trait anxiety theory states that people differ in their vulnerability to different kinds of stress and individuals who are high in test anxiety, a trait measure, are more likely to experience elevation in state anxiety in situations which are more anxiety provoking. It is, therefore, possible that in the Bronzaft and Epstein study only those students who were high in debilitating test anxiety increased their scores whereas those low in test anxiety did not.
12 12
A. L. BRONZAFT & S. B. DOBROW
Today's national economic crisis prompted the investigators to question its impact on college students' attitudes toward school in general and tests specifically and to explore whether reactions to the economic crisis were related to differences in level of test anxiety. Rising educational costs and the growing numbers of college graduates on unemployment rolls and in jobs for which they are educationally overqualified might cause some students to worry about meeting educational costs and/or securing jobs after graduation. On the other hand, the economic recession might heighten an awareness among some college students that the less able will be weeded out of the pool and only the outstanding students will succeed and result in stimulating them to work harder at their studies. The present study was then undertaken to query college students on how the economic crisis affected their attitudes toward school and tests and to relate such attitudes to test-anxiety levels. It is hypothesized that students who reported that the economic recession resulted in better study habits and a greater desire to do well at school will have higher facilitating and lower debilitating test-anxiety scores than those students who reported that the economic crisis resulted in increased worry about educational costs and/or future jobs.
METHOD Students (72 female, 72 male) enrolled in a private college during the Spring 1975 semester had been asked to write an essay in response to the following question, "Has the economic situation affected your attitudes and feelings toward school, tests and grades?" These essays were read by two graduate students1 independently and sorted into three categories according to specific statements made in them. The categories were as follows: 1, economic situation had no effect on attitudes toward school; 2, economic situation led to better study habits and increased desire to do well at school; 3, concern with economic situation resulted in increased worry about educational costs and/or securing positions in graduate school or industry after graduation. Both judges agreed on the placement of all the essays and each category contained essays from 24 females and 24 males. The students were also asked to complete the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test (1960) which provided facilitating and debilitating test anxiety scores for each student. Students (70 female, 72 male) enrolled in a tuition-free public college were also asked to write an essay on how the economic situation affected their attitudes toward school, tests and grades and to complete the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test. The essays were sorted by the judges, independently, into two categories: 1, economic situation had no effect on attitudes toward school; 2, concern with economic situation resulted in increased worry about Thanks to Bonnie Jolles and Stephanie Mott for their assistance.
TJ3T ANXIETY AND THE ECONOMIC RECESSION
1213
educational costs and future job opportunities. Each category contained essays from 35 females and 36 males. An attempt to identify a sample of students at the public college who reported that economic situation led to improved study habits and increased desire to do well at school resulted in locating only 13 students for this category.
RESULTS Mean facilitating test-anxiety (AAT+) scores and mean debilitating tesc-anxiety (AAT-) scores were obtained for each of the three groups at the private college. To determine whether reactions to the economic recession were related to test-anxiety levels, analyses of variance of the AAT+ data and of the AAT- data were performed (see Table 1). The analysis of variance of AAT+ data yielded a significant F ratio of 12.95 ( p < .01), indicating that students who stated that the economic recession caused them to work harder at school had the highest facilitating testanxiety scores, those who reported no effect had scores in the middle and those students who stated that economic problems interfered in some way with their school work had the lowest facilitating tesc-anxiety scores. The significant F ratio of 10.28 ( p < .01) for the AAT- data indicated that students who reported that economic crisis interfered with their studies had the highest debilitaTABLE 1 PRIVATE COLLEGBMEANSAND STANDARDDEVIATIONS ON ALPERT-HABER ACHIEVEMENT ANXIETY TBSTAND DIFFERENCES AMONGMEANS N
Group
P
M
SD
P
28.16 24.08 23.66
5.21 4.92 4.16
12.95
TEST ANXIEW AND THE ECONOMIC RECESSION ARLINE L. BRONZAFT
Herbert H . Lehman College
AND
STEPHEN B. DOBROW Fairleigh Dickinson University
Summnry.-The impact of the present economic recession on college students' attitudes toward school and the relationship of these reactions to testanxiety scores was investigated for two samples of college students, 142 attending a public college and 144 a private college. As hypothesized, students who reported that economic crisis resulted in increased desire to do well in school had higher facilitating and lower debilitating test-anxiety scores than those students who stated that economic recession caused them to worry more abouc rising educational costs and future job opportunities. Differences between findings for the private and public college were discussed.
When Bronzaft and Epstein ( 1973 ) reported increases in mean debilitating test-anxiety scores and decreases in mean facilitating test-anxiety scores at three colleges 5 yr. after an initial testing, they pointed to differences in the nature of the student populations between the earlier and later testings as a possible explanation. Yet another possible explanation may lie in the prevailing climate at the campuses at the different times. The late 1960's and early 1970's, marked by campus riots and protests, represented a time of student disenchantment with college policies as well as national priorities. Resentment toward college programs might have been reflected in more negative test-taking attitudes and feelings among the students tested during the 1970-72 period than those tested in 1965. Studies have already demonstrated that by varying experimental conditions, test anxiety may be raised or lowered depending on the arousal potential of the situation (Sarason, 1972; Wittmaier, 1974; Paul & Erikson, 1964). Therefore, on a broader scale, one might expect economic crises, wars, dissatisfaction with university and/or governmental policies, etc. to affect attitudes toward school, tests and grades. This could in turn explain mean college test-anxiety scores fluctuating over time. Bronzaft and Epstein (1973) did not, however, attempt to relate dissatisfaction with university and national priorities to scores of high and low test-anxious students. Since they only reported increases in mean debilitating test-anxiety scores, their data could not reflect differences, if any, between high and low anxious individuals. Spielberger (1972) in his state-trait anxiety theory states that people differ in their vulnerability to different kinds of stress and individuals who are high in test anxiety, a trait measure, are more likely to experience elevation in state anxiety in situations which are more anxiety provoking. It is, therefore, possible that in the Bronzaft and Epstein study only those students who were high in debilitating test anxiety increased their scores whereas those low in test anxiety did not.
12 12
A. L. BRONZAFT & S. B. DOBROW
Today's national economic crisis prompted the investigators to question its impact on college students' attitudes toward school in general and tests specifically and to explore whether reactions to the economic crisis were related to differences in level of test anxiety. Rising educational costs and the growing numbers of college graduates on unemployment rolls and in jobs for which they are educationally overqualified might cause some students to worry about meeting educational costs and/or securing jobs after graduation. On the other hand, the economic recession might heighten an awareness among some college students that the less able will be weeded out of the pool and only the outstanding students will succeed and result in stimulating them to work harder at their studies. The present study was then undertaken to query college students on how the economic crisis affected their attitudes toward school and tests and to relate such attitudes to test-anxiety levels. It is hypothesized that students who reported that the economic recession resulted in better study habits and a greater desire to do well at school will have higher facilitating and lower debilitating test-anxiety scores than those students who reported that the economic crisis resulted in increased worry about educational costs and/or future jobs.
METHOD Students (72 female, 72 male) enrolled in a private college during the Spring 1975 semester had been asked to write an essay in response to the following question, "Has the economic situation affected your attitudes and feelings toward school, tests and grades?" These essays were read by two graduate students1 independently and sorted into three categories according to specific statements made in them. The categories were as follows: 1, economic situation had no effect on attitudes toward school; 2, economic situation led to better study habits and increased desire to do well at school; 3, concern with economic situation resulted in increased worry about educational costs and/or securing positions in graduate school or industry after graduation. Both judges agreed on the placement of all the essays and each category contained essays from 24 females and 24 males. The students were also asked to complete the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test (1960) which provided facilitating and debilitating test anxiety scores for each student. Students (70 female, 72 male) enrolled in a tuition-free public college were also asked to write an essay on how the economic situation affected their attitudes toward school, tests and grades and to complete the Alpert-Haber Achievement Anxiety Test. The essays were sorted by the judges, independently, into two categories: 1, economic situation had no effect on attitudes toward school; 2, concern with economic situation resulted in increased worry about Thanks to Bonnie Jolles and Stephanie Mott for their assistance.
TJ3T ANXIETY AND THE ECONOMIC RECESSION
1213
educational costs and future job opportunities. Each category contained essays from 35 females and 36 males. An attempt to identify a sample of students at the public college who reported that economic situation led to improved study habits and increased desire to do well at school resulted in locating only 13 students for this category.
RESULTS Mean facilitating test-anxiety (AAT+) scores and mean debilitating tesc-anxiety (AAT-) scores were obtained for each of the three groups at the private college. To determine whether reactions to the economic recession were related to test-anxiety levels, analyses of variance of the AAT+ data and of the AAT- data were performed (see Table 1). The analysis of variance of AAT+ data yielded a significant F ratio of 12.95 ( p < .01), indicating that students who stated that the economic recession caused them to work harder at school had the highest facilitating testanxiety scores, those who reported no effect had scores in the middle and those students who stated that economic problems interfered in some way with their school work had the lowest facilitating tesc-anxiety scores. The significant F ratio of 10.28 ( p < .01) for the AAT- data indicated that students who reported that economic crisis interfered with their studies had the highest debilitaTABLE 1 PRIVATE COLLEGBMEANSAND STANDARDDEVIATIONS ON ALPERT-HABER ACHIEVEMENT ANXIETY TBSTAND DIFFERENCES AMONGMEANS N
Group
P
M
SD
P
28.16 24.08 23.66
5.21 4.92 4.16
12.95
