The psychometric properties of a new, multidimensional measure of test anxiety, the Test Anxiety Measure for College Students (TAM-C), were examined in a sample of 720 undergraduate students. Results of confirmatory factor analyses provided support for a six-factor (Cognitive Interference, Physiological Hyperarousal, Social Concerns, Task-Irrelevant Behaviors, Worry, and Facilitating Anxiety) model. Cronbach’s coefficient alphas ranged from .75 to .95 for the TAM-C scores. Gender differences were found on four of the TAM-C scales, with females reporting higher levels of test anxiety than males. Convergent and discriminant evidence of validity for the TAM-C scores was found. Implications of the findings for mental health professionals who work with college students are discussed.

Alpert, R., Haber, R. N. (1960). Anxiety in academic achievement situations. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 61, 207-215. doi:10.1037/h0045464
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI
Amrein, A. L., Berliner, D. C. (2003). The effects of high-stakes testing on student motivation and learning. Educational Leadership, 60, 32-38.
Google Scholar | ISI
Benson, J., El-Zahhar, N. (1994). Further refinement and validation of the Revised Test Anxiety Scale. Structural Equation Modeling, 1, 203-221. doi:10.1080/10705519409539975
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research: Second edition. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Google Scholar
Canivez, G. L., Watkins, M. W., Dombrowski, S. C. (2016). Structural validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition: Confirmatory factor analyses with the 16 primary and secondary subtests. Psychological Assessment, 28, 1-14. doi:10.1037/pas0000358
Google Scholar | Crossref
Chapell, M. S., Blanding, B. Z., Silverstein, M. E., Takahashi, M., Newman, B., Gubi, A., McCann, N. (2005). Test anxiety and academic performance in undergraduate and graduate students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 268-274. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.97.2.268
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14, 464-504. doi:10.1080/10705510701301834
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Cheung, G. W., Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233-255. doi:10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Couch, J. V., Garber, T. B., Turner, W. E. (1983). Facilitating and debilitating test anxiety and academic achievement. The Psychological Record, 33, 237-244.
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Curran, P. J., West, S. G., Finch, J. F. (1996). The robustness of test statistics to nonnormality and specification error in confirmatory factor analysis. Psychological Methods, 1, 16-29. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.1.1.16
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Finney, S. J., DiStefano, C. (2013). Nonnormal and categorical data in structural equation modeling. In Hancock, G. R., Mueller, R. O. (Eds.), Structural equation modeling: A second course (2nd ed., pp. 439-492). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Google Scholar
Friedman, I. A., Bendas-Jacob, O. (1997). Measuring perceived test anxiety in adolescents: A self-report scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 57, 1035-1045. doi:10.1177/0013164497057006012
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Furr, S. R., Westefield, J. S., McConnell, G. N., Jenkins, M. J. (2001). Suicide and depression among college students: A decade later. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32, 97-100. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.32.1.97
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Green, S. B., Salkind, N. J. (2014). Using SPSS for Windows and MacIntosh (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Google Scholar
Hembree, R. (1988). Correlates, causes, effects, and treatment of test anxiety. Review of Educational Research, 58, 47-77. doi:10.2307/1170348
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Hu, L., Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structural analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Huberty, T. J., Dick, A. C. (2006). Performance and test anxiety. In Bear, G. G., Minke, K. M. (Eds.), Children’s needs III: Development, prevention, and intervention (pp. 281-291). Bethesda, MD: The National Association of School Psychologists.
Google Scholar
IBM . (2013). SPSS for windows, version 22.0. Chicago, IL: Author.
Google Scholar
Joiner, T. E., Steer, R. A., Beck, A. T., Schmidt, N. B., Rudd, M. D., Catanzaro, S. J. (1999). Physiological hyperarousal: Construct validity of a central aspect of the tripartite model of depression and anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108, 290-298. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.108.2.290
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI
Krohne, H. W., Laux, L. (1982). Achievement, stress, and anxiety. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.
Google Scholar
Kuncel, N. R., Credé, M., Thomas, L. L. (2005). The validity of self-reported grade point averages, class ranks, and test scores: A meta-analysis and review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75, 63-82. doi:10.3102/00346543075001063
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Liebert, R. M., Morris, L. W. (1967). Cognitive and emotional components of test anxiety: A distinction and some initial data. Psychological Reports, 20, 975-978. doi:10.2466/pr0.1967.20.3.975
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Lowe, G., Urquhart, J., Greenman, J., Lowe, G. (2000). Academic stress and secretory immunoglobulin A. Psychological Reports, 87, 721-722. doi:10.2466/PR0.87.7.721-722
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline
Lowe, P. A. (2014). The Test Anxiety Measure for Adolescents (TAMA): Examination of the reliability and validity of the scores of a new multidimensional measure of test anxiety for middle high school students. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 32, 404-416. doi:10.1177/0734282914528611
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Lowe, P. A., Ang, R. P. (2012). Cross-cultural examination of test anxiety among U.S. and Singapore elementary students on the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E). Educational Psychology, 32, 107-126. doi:10.1080/01443410.2011.62562
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Lowe, P. A., Grumbein, M. J., Raad, J. M. (2011). Examination of the psychometric properties of the Test Anxiety Scale for Elementary Students (TAS-E) scores. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 29, 503-514. doi:10.1177/0734282910395894
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Lowe, P. A., Lee, S. W. (2008). Factor structure of the Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA) scores across gender among student in elementary and secondary school settings. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 26, 231-246. doi:10.1177/0734282907303773
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Lowe, P. A., Lee, S. W., DeRuyck, K. A. (2004). An exploratory factor analysis of a new comprehensive measure of test anxiety: The Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA). Unpublished manuscript.
Google Scholar
Lowe, P. A., Lee, S. W., Witteborg, K. M., Pritchard, K. W., Luhr, M. E., Cullinan, C. M., . . . Janik, M. (2008). The Test Anxiety Inventory for Children and Adolescents (TAICA). Examination of the psychometric properties of a new multidimensional measure of test anxiety among elementary and secondary school students. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 26, 215-230. doi:10.1177/0734282907303760
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Lowe, P. A., Zhu, Q., Liu, L., Crouse, T., Mendez, K. (2016, August). Examination of a new test anxiety measure for college students. Paper presented at the 124th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.
Google Scholar
Methia, R. A. (2004). Help your child overcome test anxiety & achieve higher test scores. College Station, TX: Virtual Bookworm.com Publishing.
Google Scholar
Muthén, L. K., Muthén, B. O. (1998-2013). Mplus Version 7.11. Los Angeles, CA: Author.
Google Scholar
National Center for Education Statistics . (2015). Fast facts. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Google Scholar
Nelson, J. M., Lindstrom, W., Foels, P. A. (2015). Test anxiety among college students with specific reading disability (dyslexia): Nonverbal ability and working memory as predictors. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48, 422-432. doi:10.1177/0022219413507604
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Nottelmann, S. D., Hill, K. T. (1977). Test anxiety and off-task behavior in evaluative situations. Child Development, 48, 225-231. doi:10.2307/1128902
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline
Nunnally, J. C., Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Google Scholar
Rafferty, B. D., Smith, R. E., Ptacek, J. T. (1997). Facilitating and debilitating trait anxiety, situational anxiety, and coping with an anticipated stressor: A process analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 892-906. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.72.4.892
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI
Reynolds, C. R. (1985). Multitrait validation of the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale for children of high intelligence. Psychological Reports, 56, 402. doi:10.2466/pr0.1985.56.2.402
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Reynolds, C. R., Kamphaus, R. W. (2015). Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition manual. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.
Google Scholar
Reynolds, C. R., Richmond, B. O., Lowe, P. A. (2003a). The Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Google Scholar
Reynolds, C. R., Richmond, B. O., Lowe, P. A. (2003b). The Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version manual. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Google Scholar
Sarason, S. B., Mandler, G. (1952). Some correlates of test anxiety. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 47, 810-814. doi:10.1037/h0060009
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Seipp, B., Schwarzer, C. (1996). Cross-cultural anxiety research. A review. In Schwarzer, C., Zeidner, M. (Eds.), Stress, anxiety, and coping in academic settings (pp. 13-68). Tubingen, Germany: Francke-Verlag.
Google Scholar
Spielberger, C. D., Anton, W. D., Bedell, J. (1976). The nature and treatment of test anxiety. In Zuckerman, M., Spielberger, C. D. (Eds.), Emotions and anxiety: New concepts, methods, and applications (pp. 317-344). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Google Scholar
Spielberger, C. D. (1980). Test Anxiety Inventory manual. Redwood, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Google Scholar
Stelnicki, A. M., Nordstokke, D. W., Saklofske, D. H. (2015). Who is the successful university student? An analysis of personal resources. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 45, 214-228.
Google Scholar | ISI
Tatum, T., Lundervold, D. A., Ament, P. (2006). Abbreviated upright Behavioral Relaxation Training for test anxiety among college students: Initial results. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 2, 475-480. doi:10.1037/h0101001
Google Scholar | Crossref
von der Embse, N. P., Mata, A. D., Segool, N., Scott, E. C. (2014). Latent profile analysis of test anxiety: A pilot study. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 32, 165-172. doi:10.1177/07342891350441
Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI
Wine, J. (1971). Test anxiety and direction of attention. Psychological Bulletin, 76, 92-104. doi:10.1037/h0031332
Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline
Wren, D. G., Benson, J. (2004). Measuring test anxiety in children: Scale development and internal construct validation. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping: An International Journal, 17, 227-240. doi:10.1080/10615800412331292606
Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI
Zeidner, M. (1998). Test anxiety: The state of the art. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
Google Scholar
Zeidner, M. (2007). Test anxiety in educational contexts: Concepts, findings, and future directions. In Schutz, P. A., Pekrun, R. (Eds.), Emotion in education (pp. 165-184). San Diego, CA: Elsevier.
Google Scholar | Crossref
View access options

My Account

Welcome
You do not have access to this content.



Chinese Institutions / 中国用户

Click the button below for the full-text content

请点击以下获取该全文

Institutional Access

does not have access to this content.

Purchase Content

24 hours online access to download content

Your Access Options


Purchase

JPA-article-ppv for $36.00