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Abstract

A university examination provided the setting for testing a hypothesis from the interference model of test anxiety. Since the model assumes that the test situation interferes with task-relevant behavior, two environmentally-relevant test factors were manipulated, the number of students present in the examination room and the positions of proctors. No effect for either environmental factor alone was noted; however, a significant interaction was found. Students taking the examination in the crowded test room and positioned a medium distance from the proctor reported higher anxiety levels and scored lower on the test than did those students in the other treatment conditions. Results are discussed in light of the literature on spatial constraint.

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Personal Space,Crowding,and the Interference Model of Test Anxiety

Abstract

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References