Furr,
Tyson (4/08) Experiential avoidance and test anxiety (David Castro Blanco, Ph.D.;
Howard McGuire, Ph.D.; Joan Duncan, Ph.D.)
This study examined the role of
experiential avoidance in test anxiety. One hundred-eleven psychology students
participated in a study using the Internet to collect behavioral measurements
of test study and test taking behavior. It was hypothesized that the Worry
dimension of test anxiety would be best predicted by higher levels of
experiential avoidance. This hypothesis was confirmed and confirmed previous
studies which found that experiential avoidance was associated with
dispositional worry and trait anxiety. Participants with higher experiential
avoidance and test anxiety also exhibited less anxiety control. Participants in
higher in test anxiety and experiential avoidance also took longer to study for
tests and took less time to complete a test created for this study.
Implications and directions for future study are discussed.
