COPING STRATEGIES FOR TEST ANXIETY? What did the textbook say? Do you have other suggestions to add?

Tips for Reducing Test Anxiety Be prepared! Study, study, study….. Get plenty of rest the night before Eat properly the day of the exam Do not arrive early or late to the exam Avoid last minute studying Avoid listening or discussing the test while you are waiting to take the test. Take mental breaks Don’t forget to breathe!

Tips continued: Replace negative thoughts, with positive thoughts while taking deep breaths and doing relaxation exercises. Don’t worry and get“bogged down” with questions you don’t know.

Progressive Relaxation Exercises: Breathe!  Take a deep breath, hold for 5 seconds. At the same time, tense the muscles in your face and neck. Now slowly exhale and relax these muscles.  Take another deep breath, hold for 5 seconds and at the same time tense the muscles in your shoulders and arms. Slowly exhale, relaxing these muscles  Continue through the following muscle groups:  Chest and lungs  Stomach area  Hips, legs & feet Pay attention to how you feel while doing this exercise. You should begin to feel your body relax

Disarm the Power of Tests! Grades are NOT: A measure of intelligence A measure of creativity An indication of how you will contribute to society A measure of what you have accomplished A MEASURE OF YOUR SELF-WORTH!

Reverse Negative Thinking Begin to Develop positive self-statements: “I CAN do well on this test.” “I studied hard and Know this material.” “I’m smart and will succeed no matter what!”

Who is Affected by Test Anxiety? Everyone experiences some test anxiety, but there are generally two types of students: Those who see testing as a challenge and a chance to show the instructor what they know. Those who view testing as a threat. They may have experienced past failures. Anxiety is a natural feeling. In small doses, it is actually helpful because it is what motivates us to study.

GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY What do psychologists hope to accomplish? Note: copy anything in red

4 Main Goals: 1. Describe the different ways that organisms behave. 2. Explain the causes of behaviour 1. Predict how organisms will behave in certain situations 2. Control an organism’s behaviour

PSYCHOLOGY OF TEST ANXIETY

Goal 1: Describe Test Anxiety What behaviours occur? Individuals may experience: butterflies in your stomach Elevated hormones Anxiety Sweating Nausea Loss of concentration or“blanking out” Lower grades on tests than daily work

Goal 2: Explain Causes Why Do I Have Test Anxiety? Psychological reasons include: Past failures come to haunt you! Fear of failure Pressure to succeed Lowered self-confidence Negative self-thinking Awareness of lack of preparedness

Physiological reasons include: The “Fight or Flight Response” The automatic stress response dates back to prehistoric times – for survival. Stress is our body’s biological reaction to our mind’s understanding of a physiological or psychological need.

Goal 3: Predict how an individual will behave a certain situation Example 1: After performing poorly on her last two math tests, Suki is likely to feel more anxious about her upcoming math test tomorrow. Example 2: Bill suffers from test anxiety. He blanks on information and cannot seem to focus on the test question. He is likely to be anxious for his first University exam and perform poorly.

Goal 4: Control an organism’s behaviour In the case of Bill, psychologists may try to control his anxiety through experimentation. To control his anxiety, psychologists may suggest he completes the exam in a small room by himself, instead of in the large gymnasium, along with 300 other students.