Advances and issues in test anxiety research

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the advances and issues in test anxiety research from the point of educational psychology. According to Mandler and Sarason (1952), test anxiety considered a very important concept in educational practice is defined as “a task-irrelevant reaction debilitating in a task-oriented focus”. But as some researchers have already suggested, the concept of test anxiety is so ambiguous that it is very difficult to measure. Specially, there are main issues resulting differantly through the method of measurement. In the future, a study of the structure and developmental mechanism of test anxiety is to be emphasized, examining current test environments from the point of test anxiety level. © 1995, The Japanese Association of Educational Psychology. All rights reserved.