dr. virginia nusca, registered psychologist
TRANSCRIPT
Test AnxietyParent Presentation April 13, 2013
Dr. Virginia Nusca, Registered Psychologist
Overview What is test anxiety? Who gets test anxiety? Signs of test anxiety Anxiety-reducing strategies Who can help your child Test anxiety resources Perfectionism
What is Test Anxiety? A type of performance anxiety
Worried about performing well Worried about how will be judged by others
Interferes with test performance A certain level of arousal important to effective test
performance If arousal or anxiety is too high, it can impair the ability
to effectively demonstrate knowledge
Who Gets Test Anxiety? Poorly prepared
Didn’t study Lacks knowledge or skills, e.g., test-taking skills, content
knowledge History of poor test performance
Has failed in the past Has learning difficulties or disability that affects test
performance Generally worried or anxious Perfectionist
Signs of Test Anxiety Physical Behavioural Cognitive
Physical Signs Nausea and/or vomiting Sleeping problems Muscle tension Headaches Perspiration Rapid heart rate Flushed Shaking Dizzy
Behavioural/Emotional Signs Motor
Restlessness, fidgety Mood
Irritable, crying Avoidance
Not studying Not attending on day of test Preference for easy, familiar tasks
I’m going to fail.
I never do well on tests.
If I don’t get a good mark, I will fail the course.
Everyone will think I’m stupid.
I should never make mistakes in my schoolwork.
I’m good at math tests.
I know the content well.
Importance of Good Listening Listen to
Your child Yourself Other important people in your child’s life
Identify thoughts that can lead to feelings of anxiety; e.g., ask your child What are you thinking right now? What are you worried will happen? What bad thing do you expect to happen?
Strategies to Reduce Test Anxiety Develop academic skills
Content knowledge Learning and study skills Test-taking skills
Develop anxiety-reducing skills Strategies to address physical symptoms Strategies to address cognitive symptoms Strategies to reduce avoidance
Before the Test Preparation
Does your child have the skills and content needed to be successful on the test?
Does your child have effective test-taking strategies? Organization
Does your child devote the amount of time needed to prepare for the test?
Practice Take practice tests
Practice answering assignment or made up questions just like a test, e.g., no peaking at the answers, sitting for a period of time.
The Importance of Practice Tests Helps develop and test skills and knowledge needed to
be successful Can you recall the information from memory? Where do you need to focus more study time?
Repeated test-taking practice reduces anxiety Student becomes familiar with test demands Can practice test-taking strategies Can practice anxiety reducing strategies Can experience success
Getting the Most Out of Practice Tests Best practice tests
Similar to actual test, e.g., same type of question, same content, same location
Start simple One question to multiple questions Easy to challenging questions
Where to get test questions Make them up From teacher From textbook and/or study guides From previous assignments or tests
Reducing Anxiety Symptoms Physical Preparation
Relaxation strategies See Stress Lessons Toolkit for a demonstration at
www.morethanmedication.ca/en/ Sleep Regular healthy routine including exercise
Cognitive Preparation Identify and challenge negative thoughts Identify and practice positive thoughts
After the Test Emphasize and praise strategy use
What strategies did you use? How did they work? How did that change your experience of the test, e.g.,
less anxiety vs. more anxiety?
Help your child make a balanced evaluation of test performance NOT it was overall a good or bad test performance Relate success on specific questions to use of strategies
and effort Focus on what went right vs. what went wrong
After the Test (continued) Use test performance to determine goals and next
steps for upcoming tests Make goals realistic and specific Put less emphasis on grades and more emphasis on
improvements in strategy use, preparation, etc. Set anxiety-reducing goals
Who Can Help Your Child? Parent/Guardian Older sibling; relative Peers Tutor Teacher Guidance Counsellor School Psychological Services Consultant
References AnxietyBC. Test Anxiety. www.anxietybc.com/test-
anxiety.php Educational Testing Services (ETS). (2005). Reducing
Test Anxiety. Princeton, NJ: Available: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/PRAXIS/pdf/ 01361anxiety.pdf Huberty, T.J. (2009). Test and Performance Anxiety. In
Principal Leadership. National Association of School Psychologists.
www.nasponline.org/resources/principals
Types of perfectionism Self-oriented perfectionism: standards for yourself
that are unrealistically high and impossible to attain.
Other-oriented perfectionism: the tendency to demand that others meet your unrealistically high standards.
Socially prescribed perfectionism: holding the assumption that others hold impossible expectations of you.
Perfectionistic Behaviours Overcompensating: Overdoing something to make absolutely
sure that everything is just right
Excessive checking & reassurance seeking: rechecking work, or checking with others, to make certain that the task is done well enough.
Repeating & correcting: Going overboard in correcting your own or other’s behaviour to ensure that you are understood.
Excessive organizing & list making
Difficulty making decisions: making a mistake is feared because it may be irreversible and “catastrophic”
Perfectionistic Behaviours Excessive slowness: doing things very slowly in an
effort to prevent errors Procrastination: Perfectionists delay starting
something to avoid the possibility that their work will be less than perfect.
Not knowing when to quit: During exams too much time is spent on difficult items because you are determined to “get it right”. You run out of time to complete the task.
How to determine if your standards are too high
Are they higher than the majority of people? Can you meet them with reasonable effort? Can others meet them?
Do your standards help you achieve your goals? Or do they get in the way? What areas of your life are negatively affected by perfectionism?
To what extent are your perfectionistic beliefs flexible or inflexible?
What is the impact of your perfectionism on others? On your emotional health? Instead of adding order and control to your life they lead to anxiety, disorder and lack
of control. If you can’t be objective answering these questions you may wish to ask others who know you well.
Helping your child Challenge perfectionistic standards and demonstrate doing things less
than perfectly yourself Challenge negative and self-critical thoughts. Do not model self-
criticalness yourself. Practice completing school work that is “less than perfect”, limiting re-
doing, re-checking and reassurance seeking behaviours. Reinforce and praise good effort versus praising high grades Reinforce enjoying the process, rather than purely working towards the finished product and outcome
References When Perfect Isn`t Good Enough (2009) Martin M.
Antony, Ph.D., Richard Swinson, MD
The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Workbook for Breaking Free of the Patterns That Hold You Back. (2002) Knauss, W.
Online Anxiety Resources The ABC’s of Mental Health: www.hincksdellcrest.org/ABC/Welcome
Information on typical development and mental health problems Teen Mental Health: www.teenmentalhealth.org
Resources for teachers, families, students Animated video clips on various anxiety disorders
Kids Health: http://kidshealth.org
Stress Lessons Toolkit: www.morethanmedication.ca/en/
Stress reduction activities for Grades 4 to 6 Parent guide Video of relaxation and breathing exercises
Test Anxiety. www.anxietybc.com/test-anxiety.php Good strategies for negative thoughts, preparation, test-taking skills, etc. Educational Testing Services (ETS). Reducing test anxiety. Princeton NJ:
Before the Test
Getting the Most Out of Practice Tests
Reducing Anxiety Symptoms
Challenging Negative Thoughts
After the Test
References
Helping your child
Dr. Virginia Nusca, Registered Psychologist
Overview What is test anxiety? Who gets test anxiety? Signs of test anxiety Anxiety-reducing strategies Who can help your child Test anxiety resources Perfectionism
What is Test Anxiety? A type of performance anxiety
Worried about performing well Worried about how will be judged by others
Interferes with test performance A certain level of arousal important to effective test
performance If arousal or anxiety is too high, it can impair the ability
to effectively demonstrate knowledge
Who Gets Test Anxiety? Poorly prepared
Didn’t study Lacks knowledge or skills, e.g., test-taking skills, content
knowledge History of poor test performance
Has failed in the past Has learning difficulties or disability that affects test
performance Generally worried or anxious Perfectionist
Signs of Test Anxiety Physical Behavioural Cognitive
Physical Signs Nausea and/or vomiting Sleeping problems Muscle tension Headaches Perspiration Rapid heart rate Flushed Shaking Dizzy
Behavioural/Emotional Signs Motor
Restlessness, fidgety Mood
Irritable, crying Avoidance
Not studying Not attending on day of test Preference for easy, familiar tasks
I’m going to fail.
I never do well on tests.
If I don’t get a good mark, I will fail the course.
Everyone will think I’m stupid.
I should never make mistakes in my schoolwork.
I’m good at math tests.
I know the content well.
Importance of Good Listening Listen to
Your child Yourself Other important people in your child’s life
Identify thoughts that can lead to feelings of anxiety; e.g., ask your child What are you thinking right now? What are you worried will happen? What bad thing do you expect to happen?
Strategies to Reduce Test Anxiety Develop academic skills
Content knowledge Learning and study skills Test-taking skills
Develop anxiety-reducing skills Strategies to address physical symptoms Strategies to address cognitive symptoms Strategies to reduce avoidance
Before the Test Preparation
Does your child have the skills and content needed to be successful on the test?
Does your child have effective test-taking strategies? Organization
Does your child devote the amount of time needed to prepare for the test?
Practice Take practice tests
Practice answering assignment or made up questions just like a test, e.g., no peaking at the answers, sitting for a period of time.
The Importance of Practice Tests Helps develop and test skills and knowledge needed to
be successful Can you recall the information from memory? Where do you need to focus more study time?
Repeated test-taking practice reduces anxiety Student becomes familiar with test demands Can practice test-taking strategies Can practice anxiety reducing strategies Can experience success
Getting the Most Out of Practice Tests Best practice tests
Similar to actual test, e.g., same type of question, same content, same location
Start simple One question to multiple questions Easy to challenging questions
Where to get test questions Make them up From teacher From textbook and/or study guides From previous assignments or tests
Reducing Anxiety Symptoms Physical Preparation
Relaxation strategies See Stress Lessons Toolkit for a demonstration at
www.morethanmedication.ca/en/ Sleep Regular healthy routine including exercise
Cognitive Preparation Identify and challenge negative thoughts Identify and practice positive thoughts
After the Test Emphasize and praise strategy use
What strategies did you use? How did they work? How did that change your experience of the test, e.g.,
less anxiety vs. more anxiety?
Help your child make a balanced evaluation of test performance NOT it was overall a good or bad test performance Relate success on specific questions to use of strategies
and effort Focus on what went right vs. what went wrong
After the Test (continued) Use test performance to determine goals and next
steps for upcoming tests Make goals realistic and specific Put less emphasis on grades and more emphasis on
improvements in strategy use, preparation, etc. Set anxiety-reducing goals
Who Can Help Your Child? Parent/Guardian Older sibling; relative Peers Tutor Teacher Guidance Counsellor School Psychological Services Consultant
References AnxietyBC. Test Anxiety. www.anxietybc.com/test-
anxiety.php Educational Testing Services (ETS). (2005). Reducing
Test Anxiety. Princeton, NJ: Available: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/PRAXIS/pdf/ 01361anxiety.pdf Huberty, T.J. (2009). Test and Performance Anxiety. In
Principal Leadership. National Association of School Psychologists.
www.nasponline.org/resources/principals
Types of perfectionism Self-oriented perfectionism: standards for yourself
that are unrealistically high and impossible to attain.
Other-oriented perfectionism: the tendency to demand that others meet your unrealistically high standards.
Socially prescribed perfectionism: holding the assumption that others hold impossible expectations of you.
Perfectionistic Behaviours Overcompensating: Overdoing something to make absolutely
sure that everything is just right
Excessive checking & reassurance seeking: rechecking work, or checking with others, to make certain that the task is done well enough.
Repeating & correcting: Going overboard in correcting your own or other’s behaviour to ensure that you are understood.
Excessive organizing & list making
Difficulty making decisions: making a mistake is feared because it may be irreversible and “catastrophic”
Perfectionistic Behaviours Excessive slowness: doing things very slowly in an
effort to prevent errors Procrastination: Perfectionists delay starting
something to avoid the possibility that their work will be less than perfect.
Not knowing when to quit: During exams too much time is spent on difficult items because you are determined to “get it right”. You run out of time to complete the task.
How to determine if your standards are too high
Are they higher than the majority of people? Can you meet them with reasonable effort? Can others meet them?
Do your standards help you achieve your goals? Or do they get in the way? What areas of your life are negatively affected by perfectionism?
To what extent are your perfectionistic beliefs flexible or inflexible?
What is the impact of your perfectionism on others? On your emotional health? Instead of adding order and control to your life they lead to anxiety, disorder and lack
of control. If you can’t be objective answering these questions you may wish to ask others who know you well.
Helping your child Challenge perfectionistic standards and demonstrate doing things less
than perfectly yourself Challenge negative and self-critical thoughts. Do not model self-
criticalness yourself. Practice completing school work that is “less than perfect”, limiting re-
doing, re-checking and reassurance seeking behaviours. Reinforce and praise good effort versus praising high grades Reinforce enjoying the process, rather than purely working towards the finished product and outcome
References When Perfect Isn`t Good Enough (2009) Martin M.
Antony, Ph.D., Richard Swinson, MD
The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Workbook for Breaking Free of the Patterns That Hold You Back. (2002) Knauss, W.
Online Anxiety Resources The ABC’s of Mental Health: www.hincksdellcrest.org/ABC/Welcome
Information on typical development and mental health problems Teen Mental Health: www.teenmentalhealth.org
Resources for teachers, families, students Animated video clips on various anxiety disorders
Kids Health: http://kidshealth.org
Stress Lessons Toolkit: www.morethanmedication.ca/en/
Stress reduction activities for Grades 4 to 6 Parent guide Video of relaxation and breathing exercises
Test Anxiety. www.anxietybc.com/test-anxiety.php Good strategies for negative thoughts, preparation, test-taking skills, etc. Educational Testing Services (ETS). Reducing test anxiety. Princeton NJ:
Before the Test
Getting the Most Out of Practice Tests
Reducing Anxiety Symptoms
Challenging Negative Thoughts
After the Test
References
Helping your child