Test anxiety and working memory system.

M Ikeda; M Iwanaga; H Seiwa

doi:10.2466/pms.1996.82.3c.1223

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Test anxiety and working memory system.

M Ikeda·M Iwanaga·H Seiwa

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Abstract

The purpose was to examine the effect of test anxiety on deficits in the articulatory loop in the working memory system. We used a verbal memory task to occupy the articulatory loop and a spatial memory task to occupy the visuospatial scratch pad. 17 highly test-anxious and 19 low-anxiety subjects performed both tasks under an anxiety-inducing situation during which they were observed by a monitor camera. Percentage of correct responses and reaction times were measured as indices of task performance. Highly anxious subjects reported feeling worry and cognitive self-concern more than the low-anxiety group. Highly anxious subjects showed a longer mean reaction time on the verbal memory task than the low-anxiety group. On the spatial memory task there was no difference in quality of performance. This finding might suggest that anxiety such as worry and cognitive self-concern interferes with information processing in the articulatory loop of the working memory system.

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Achievement Adolescent Adult Anxiety Arousal Humans Individuality Mental Recall Orientation Pattern Recognition, Visual Psychometrics Reaction Time Self Concept Students Test Anxiety Scale Verbal Learning Journal Article

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M Ikeda, M Iwanaga, H Seiwa. 1996. Test anxiety and working memory system.. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1996.82.3c.1223

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