Poster #92 - Students’ State Anxiety in Schools is Triggered by More Than Tests: the Combined Role of Test Anxiety and Anxiety Sensitivity

• In Event: Poster Session 02

Abstract

The literature has established that some elementary and high school students experience greater state anxiety (anxious states) than others as they easily appraise various situations in school as threats. However, the combination of specific cues likely to trigger students’ anxious states in schools remains unclear, even though such information would improve the suitability between preventive anxiety efforts and students’ needs. This study aimed to 1) examine emerging profiles of students and 2) examine how these profiles were related to state anxiety to better understand what triggers state anxiety in students of private and public schools. To do so, we first examined using a latent profile analysis approach how anxiety sensitivity (anxious states triggered by the fear of being anxious) and test anxiety (anxious states triggered by exams) interplay to form distinct profiles of students during an end-of-year exams period and normal school curriculum. Self-reported measures of state/trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and test anxiety in 1404 students (589 boys) of Grades 5 and 10 were entered in latent profile analyses. We also examined whether the students’ profile varied across gender, school level, and school type and whether students’ profile predicted anxious states via linear mixed-effect models. Using a novel approach measuring a combination of anxiety forms allowed us to better identify at-risk students (12%; susceptible to both triggers) and, surprisingly, revealed that 73% were not susceptible to experiencing these triggers and reported low state anxiety levels. Some students were also only susceptible to anxiety sensitivity (6%) or to test anxiety (9%). The profile membership did not vary across school levels, whereas it varied across gender and school type. Finally, the profiles significantly predicted students’ state anxiety, where students susceptible to both triggers experienced the greatest state anxiety levels. Our results highlight the necessity to promote selective interventions designed for at-risk students rather than universal interventions administered to all students, as the majority of students (73%) would probably not benefit from any intervention. Furthermore, it suggests that using an alarmist tone when addressing youths’ anxiety in school could unnecessarily contribute to increasing students’ fear of anxiety.

Authors

• Audrey-Ann Journault, Université de Montréal (UdeM)
  Presenting Author

• Isabelle Plante

• Sandrine Charbonneau

• Claudia Sauvageau

• Charlotte Longpré

• Charles-Édouard Giguère

• Carolanne Labonté

• Kassandra Roger

• Rebecca Cernik

• Kathryn Everhart Chaffee

• Laurence Dumont

• Réal Labelle, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Sonia Lupien, Université de Montréal