Test Anxiety And What Psychology Says..

By Author: Constance Martinez
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Test Anxiety And What Psychology Says...

Test Anxiety is one of the most frequent manifestations of the overall
model of anxiety, which one and all, sooner or later, experiences.
What is anxiety? Anxiety is about losing focus on dynamics inside our heads. It does not
matter if the feared situation is external, like not doing well on
tests, or whether it is internal, like not being able to control our
feelings. The subjective experience of anxiety is the same.
We feel a indistinct sense of disquiet, which if allowed to build,
crescendos into something that can be quite awful.
The easiest cure for such an experience is to cease ruminating about what
we are thinking. The self-protective strategy is that whatever it is that
triggers anxiety should be avoided. On the other hand, if it is the
setting in which we find ourselves, the most obvious solution is
to leave. These are quick fixes for anxiety, and often work when
the anxiety is low, or when we can control what we think or where
we are.
...
... However, other kinds of anxiety are not so easy to repress.
Test taking anxiety is about being unprepared for a test, or
having to do really well "or else." One cannot just leave the
situation behind or just go away, physically.
To survive this particular form of anxiety, one has to first see
what specifically stimulates the fear. (By the way, anxiety is usually
thought of as unfocused fear; that is, we are afraid of something
but just do not know of what. Since test anxiety is specific, we
might just as well label it test fear, not test anxiety.) It could
be lots of things. Have you not studied enough so you fear just not
knowing enough answers? Are you competing with others who you
perceive to be better trainedd, or smarter? Is there a bigger
consequence if you do not do well? (Think final exams vs.
mid-term quizzes.)
To control test anxiety, as with most experiences of anxiety, try to
break the experience down into lesser categories. Think baby steps,
in popular or colloquial speech. As is probably obvious, the smaller the steps
are the easier they are to navigate. Plus, try not to think of
the ultimate outcome; rather, focus on the actual steps, letting
them add up one by one. It does not take long to realize the smaller
steps are manageable. Without thinking of the final goal, managing
smaller steps inevitably leads to the bigger goal, which is to reduce
test anxiety, in this case from the inside out.
Here is an example. Suppose there are ten chapters to review
before a final exam. You could be concerned about the degree of material,
fretting that with so many chapters, surely there will be something to
forget, hence lower your grade. Or, you could focus solely on
Chapter One. The idea is to be "in the moment" with a smaller step,
in this case paying attention to only one chapter. Just deal with that,
and then ask your roommate, parent or significant other to quiz you if
there are no quizzes at the back of the chapter. Master one chapter.
When this is finished, you have reduced your anxiety significantly.
Does not seem like much? Study Chapter Two and do the same thing,
while reviewing Chapter One. Now you have mastered more,
plus gotten a sense that this project is doable, and so on.
Alas, many people do not stay in the moment, nor do they
break their experiences down into handy units. These are the
people who are prone to take on anxiety disorders proper, of which
there are many. If you think this is your experience, this author
has written an ebook that shows you exactly how to assess your own
experience of anxiety, and a lot more, especially if you are a
do-it-yourself type.

Dr. Griggs For more information about this and other helpful psychology ebooks by this author, go to:

http://www.psychologyproductsandservices.com

For more information about the author, go to:

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