CAN PERSPECTIVE BROADENING REAPPRAISALS IMPROVE THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF TEST ANXIOUS STUDENTS

Abstract

High levels of test anxiety can impede exam performance. This is because test anxious students often engage in negative, task disruptive thinking instead of focusing on their exams. By exposing students to test anxiety-eliciting conditions, I examined whether encouraging students to reappraise their test anxieties using broader perspectives can improve exam performance. Through two pre-registered studies (one laboratory-based, one field-based), I provide initial evidence confirming my hypothesis.

This thesis was funded by the Ministry of Education Social Science Research Thematic Grant. My preregistrations, materials and de-identified data can be obtained at https://osf.io/t9a4g/