Two studies were conducted to determine whether an antecedent of ineffective communication, cognitive incongruence, is related to raised states of anxiety and to lower achievement. A response paradigm derived from Rogers' self theory was considered as a possible explanation of the frequently observed negative correlation between anxiety and achievement. It was hypothesized that there was a significant positive relationship between student/lecturer congruence and student performance with that lecturer, and that there was a significant negative relationship between student/lecturer congruence and student anxiety. The findings of both studies supported these hypotheses. The results lend support to the Rogers/Hogan paradigm as a potential explanation of the relationship between anxiety and achievement.
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