LCRG Research Brief | Girls and Test Anxiety

test anxiety

CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS

A SERIES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY LCRG

“Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.”

by Tori Cordiano, Ph.D. and Lisa Damour, Ph.D.

GIRLS AND TEST ANXIETY Many girls experience intense text anxiety despite strong performance in class, on homework and even on tests. Girls suffer from test anxiety more than boys do1, perhaps because girls have been found to feel more threatened in situations where they are being evaluated.2 Test anxiety comes with real consequences: girls dread assessments, doubt their own abilities and ultimately underperform on tests. Even when compared to boys who suffer from test anxiety, research finds that girls experience higher levels of test anxiety and that their scores suffer more.3 Test anxiety often causes uncomfortable symptoms such as racing heart, trouble concentrating and difficulty recalling and applying relevant material. When girls experience these symptoms, they often turn to ineffective test-taking techniques: they give up and start filling in answers randomly, or they exert too much energy on the test by anxiously double-checking and changing answers.

Either way, their scores go down.

test anxiety: GIRLS AND TEST ANXIETY Effective study strategies allow girls to engage with the material instead of simply reviewing what they’ve learned.

CAUSES OF TEST ANXIETY

INEFFECTIVE STUDY SKILLS

MISINTERPRETING NORMAL ANXIETY

Test anxiety can result from inadequate test preparation. Girls may spend hours studying for tests, but the common strategy of re-reading notes and texts is actually inefficient and ineffective.13

A certain amount of anxiety is normal and helpful at key moments. In testing situations, mild anxiety has been found to increase motivation and improve test results.4 Test scores only drop when anxiety becomes too intense and panic symptoms — racing heart, negative thoughts and “brain freeze” — take over.

• NORMALIZING ANXIETY: Rather than treating all anxiety as harmful, girls benefit from knowing that some anxiety should be expected and can actually enhance performance.5 Help your daughter to appreciate that being a little bit nervous will help her “get her game on” so that she can go in and “beat the test.”

STEREOTYPE THREAT A phenomenon known as stereotype threat can trigger anxiety in situations where girls worry that their test performance might confirm a negative stereotype. For example, girls sometimes underperform on math tests simply because they are worried that their scores might support the inaccurate idea that they are weaker than boys at math.6 Individuals experiencing stereotype threat become anxious in performance situations. Their anxiety can manifest in increased blood pressure7, “brain freeze”8, or giving up on the test or second guessing answers.9 When girls are unaware of the phenomenon of stereotype threat, they blame themselves for their anxiety (e.g., “This test is too hard for me.” or “I must not be as prepared as I thought I was!”).

As their anxiety goes up, their test performance goes down.

• REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF STEREOTYPE THREAT: Interventions that teach girls about the concept of stereotype threat can shield girls from its negative effects.10 Providing girls with situational (as opposed to stereotype-based) explanations for the anxiety they experience in test situations may also reduce the negative effects of stereotype threat.11 For example, teachers and parents can offer explanations such as, “You may feel nervous because you are taking the test in a classroom you don’t usually use.” Finally, offering positive stereotypes, such as “Girls get better grades than boys,” or providing examples of high-achieving women can also reduce the effects of stereotype threat.12

• STUDYING MORE EFFECTIVELY: Effective study strategies allow girls to engage with the material instead of simply reviewing what they’ve learned. Girls can move from unhelpful, passive studying techniques to effective, active techniques by taking practice tests that mimic the test they’re preparing for (e.g., writing a practice essay for an essay test, doing practice math problems for a math test), asking a parent to quiz her on test material, writing and answering her own practice questions that require her to retrieve information from memory14 or discussing the material with a friend. Research also finds that girls benefit when they break study sessions into short sessions over several days or weeks leading up to the test15 and mix different types of problems together, rather than working on one type of problem repeatedly (a practice known as “interleaving”).16

Coping with Test Anxiety Coping skills can be used to address the irrational thoughts that accompany test anxiety (e.g., “I don’t know what I’m doing!” “I’m going to fail this test.”) and to manage the physical effects of nervousness.

Interventions targeting self-efficacy — a girl’s sense of confidence and preparedness for the test — can curb test anxiety.17 Just before and during a test, girls may benefit from using what psychologists call “self-talk” to tell themselves, “I know how to solve these problems,” or “I am prepared for this test.” Girls can also use relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and visualization to reduce anxiety.18 Ideally, girls should practice these skills before the test at a time when they are calm, so they are able to use the skills effectively during testing situations.

GIRLS AND TEST ANXIETY

[endnotes]

Cassady, J.C. & Johnson, R.E. (2002). Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 27, 270-295.

Arch, E.C. (1987). Differential responses of females and males to evaluative stress: anxiety, self-esteem, efficacy and willingness to participate. In R. Schwarzer,

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H.M. Van der Ploeg, & C.D. Spielberger (Eds.), Advances in test anxiety research, Vol. 5 (97-106). Berwyn, PA: Swets North America.

Devine, A., Fawcett, K., Szucs, D., & Dowker, A. (2012). Gender differences in math anxiety and the relation to math performance while controlling for test anxiety.

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Behavioral and Brain Functions, 8, 1-9.

Gregor, A. (2005). Examination anxiety: live with it, control it, or make it work for you? School Psychology International, 26, 617-635.

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Keeley, J., Zayac, R., & Correia, C. (2008). Curvilinear relationships between statistics anxiety and performance among undergraduate

students: evidence for optimal anxiety. Statistics Education Research Journal, 7, 4-15.

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Spencer, S.J., Steele, C.M., & Quinn, D.M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women’s math performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35, 4-28.

Osborne, J.W. (2007). Linking stereotype threat and anxiety. Educational Psychology, 27, 135-154.

Schmader, T. & Johns, M. (2003). Converging evidence that stereotype threat reduces working memory capacity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 440-452.

Steele, C.M. & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.

Johns, M., Schmader, T., & Martens, A. (2005). Knowing is half the battle: teaching stereotype threat as a means of improving women’s math performance.

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Psychological Science, 16, 175-179.

Ben-Zeev, T., Fein, S., & Inzlivht, M. (2005). Arousal and stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 174-181.

McGlone, M.S., & Aronson, J. (2007). Forewarning and forearming stereotype-threatened students. Communication Education, 56, 119-133.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K.A., Marsh, E.J., Nathan, M.J., & Willingham, D.T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective techniques. Psychological Science in

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the Public Interest, 14, 4-58.

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Roediger, H.L., & Karpicke, J.D. (2006). The power of testing memory: basic research and implications for educational practice.

Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 181-210.

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Rohrer, D., & Pashler, H. (2007). Increasing retention time without increasing study time. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16,

183-186.

Taylor, K., & Rohrer, D. (2010). The effects of interleaved practice. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24, 837-848.

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Segool, N.K., von der Embse, N.P., Mata, A.D., & Gallant, J. (2014). Cognitive behavioral model of test anxiety in a high-stakes context:

an exploratory study. School Mental Health, 6, 50-61.

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von der Embse, N.P., Barterian, J., & Segool, N. (2013). Test anxiety interventions for children and adolescents: A systematic review

of treatment studies from 2000-2010. Psychology in the Schools, 50, 57-71.

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Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but Scattered. New York: Guilford Press.

Moss, W.L., & Deluca-Acconi, R. (2013). School made easier: A kid’s guide to study strategies and anxiety-busting tools. Washington, DC: Magination Press.

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CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON GIRLS Putting the world’s best research to work for girls.

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test anxiety: GIRLS AND TEST ANXIETY

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Online Resource LCRG GUIDE FOR TEACHERS: SHIELDING STUDENTS FROM STEREOTYPE THREAT This LCRG research summary presents important information to help teachers understand and address stereotype threat in the classroom. http://www.laurelschool.org/LCRGcurricula

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS Online Resource LCRG RESEARCH BRIEF ON STEREOTYPE THREAT This LCRG research monograph summarizes important information about stereotype threat, including why it occurs and how to combat its negative effects. http://www.laurelschool.org/LCRGresearchbriefs

GIRL VS. TEST In this Education Week article, LCRG Director Dr. Lisa Damour describes how healthy aggression can be a girl’s best friend when it comes to taking tests. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/09/28/05damour.h31.html

Book SMART BUT SCATTERED Written by psychologist Dr. Peg Dawson and neuropsychologist Dr. Richard Guare, this guide 19 introduces parents to executive skills, such as organization and emotional control, that can be harnessed to maximize students’ performance and reduce school-related anxiety.

Original Research GIRLS, STRESS AND WELL-BEING Researchers from Boston College and Boston University collaborated with Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls to study the factors that contribute to and alleviate stress in high-achieving girls. http://www.laurelschool.org/LCRGoriginalresearch

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS Online Resource ETS GUIDE TO REDUCING TEST ANXIETY This guide produced by ETS, the testing company responsible for the GRE and Praxis Test Series, is designed to help students identify signs of test anxiety and utilize effective test-taking techniques and strategies to manage anxiety during assessments. http://www.ets.org/s/praxis/pdf/reducing_test_anxiety.pdf

Book SCHOOL MADE EASIER Written by Dr. Wendy Moss, a clinical psychologist, and Robin DeLuca-Acconi, a licensed clinical social worker, School Made Easier 20 (for children ages 8-13) is designed to help students understand test anxiety, develop better study and organizational habits and learn techniques to manage academic stress.