Positive anxiety and its role in motivation and achievements among university students

Abstract

Recently, psychologists and educators have been interested in the study of anxiety, motivation and achievements. The modern approach to the phenomenon of anxiety is based on the fact that anxiety should not be regarded as an initially negative personality trait; it is a signal of inadequacy of subject's activity in relation to the situation. Each person is characterized by the optimal level of anxiety, the socalled positive anxiety, which is a necessary condition for the development of personality, and there is a set of anxiety situations - depending on the experience and personal resources. The relevance of the research topic is explained by the constant updating of the content of education. The latter often leads to meager understanding by students of their future profession and influences the formation of students' self-regulation techniques, necessary for a favorable independent learning and active life position. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of anxiety on motivation and performance. The results of the study showed that 49% of high-performing students have a medium level of anxiety, and 41% are highly anxious. High rates of internal and external motivation are among respondents with an average value of situational anxiety. Significantly lower motivation is in students with a high level of trait anxiety. A high level of anxiety contributes to a high level of academic achievement, but at the same time reduces the motivation for learning. A low level of anxiety leads to a decrease in academic performance, but the level of motivation is quite high. Therefore, the results of the study can be useful for teachers, university management, as well as for those who are responsible for the preparation and conduct of examination sessions.