فصلنامه روانشناسی شناختی

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the coping styles, meta-cognitive beliefs and test anxiety by considering the mediating role of coping styles based on the Self-regulatory executive function in the university students. In 2010, 638 students of Tehran’s kharazmi University and Agricultural faculty of Tehran University were selected through Stratified sampling method from October to November. Students completed Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations of Endler and Parker, Test Anxiety Inventory, Metacognitions Questionnaire. In this study the correlational method was used. Spearman correlation test was used to determine the relationship between the variables and the path analysis method was used to determine the contribution of each component. The Results showed that the emotion-oriented and problem-oriented coping strategies had a mediating role in the relationship between the meta-cognition and test anxiety. But avoidance coping strategy had no mediating role in this relationship. Of five dimensions of meta-cognition, only the positive meta-cognitive beliefs and cognitive confidence had a direct effect on the test anxiety. But the effects of other dimensions were indirect. With respect to the results, focusing on the coping strategies and meta-cognitive beliefs can play an important role in the students’ test anxiety. It is suggested that the treatment interventions which are based on the meta-cognition and coping should be considered for treatment of test anxiety disorder.  

The goal of the current study was to assess the role of the cognitive emotion regulation strategie in student’s test anxiety. Using randomized multistage cluster sampling method 330 (165 girls, 135 boys) were selected and assessed by Persian version of cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (Garnefski, Kraaij & Spinhoven, 2001) and Spielberger's test Anxiety Scale (1980). The results of stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that among adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, positive reappraisal and putting into perspective pridected both wory and emotionality components of test anxiety, wheras total score of test anxiety was pridected by positive reappraisal and refocus on planning strategies. Among maladaptive strategies, self-blame and catastrophizing strategies pridected wory component and total score of test anxiety. Also, the emotionality component was pridected via self-blame, catastrophizing and rumination strategies. The results of this study indicate that dysfunctional cognitive coping is one of causes of test anxiety incidence and training effective cognitive emotion regulation strategies can be major steps in test anxiety based interventions.

The aim of present study was to investigation the role of metacognitive beliefs and thought control strategies in test anxiety symptoms of students. In a frame of correlation design, using multi-stage cluster sampling among high school students of Estahban and Shiraz in the 93-94 academic year, 401 students (male and female) were selected and completed test anxiety inventory (TAI), metacognitive questionnaire (MCQ-30) and thought control questionnaire (TCQ). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that the cognitive components of positive beliefs about worry, uncontrollability, danger and cognitive confidence had a positive relationship with test anxiety symptoms of students. Also, among thought control strategies, worry, social control and punishment had a positive relationship with test anxiety symptoms of student, but attention diversion had a negative relationship. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis of variables combination showed that uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence, punishment and need to thoughts control predict test anxiety symptoms of students, respectively.  The results of this study suggests that one of important factors in incidence of test anxiety in students is metacognitive beliefs and copying strategies about them. Therefore, it is recommended that pay particular attention to metacognitive beliefs and copying strategies in the prevention programs or treatment of test anxiety. 

This study aimed to determine the mediating role of self-regulation in the relationship between thinking styles and students’ test anxiety in Birjand University. The present study is a non-experimental one and of Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) type. The sample size consists of 300 students (150 males and 150 females) who were studying in Birjand University that were selected through multi-stage cluster random sampling method. They completed three questionnaires including Test Anxiety questionnaire developed by Abolqasemi et al. (1996), Self-regulation questionnaire by Pinterich and DeGrowth (1990) and Thinking Styles by Sternberg and Wagner (1992). Then, descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and parameters of inferential statistics and path analysis were applied using AMOS software. The results showed that thinking styles explain 31% of the self-regulatory learning variance and thinking styles with mediation of self-regulatory learning explain 36% of the test anxiety variance. Thinking styles have an indirect relationship with test anxiety through self-regulation. Therefore, identifying different learning styles and skills through self-regulation of the amount of test anxiety they explained. And thus to reduce test anxiety set of programs. As a result, planners and therapists These findings suggest that self-regulation is necessary to reduce test anxiety, and also references to different learning styles as a key variable pay special attention

Low self-esteem is one of the key factors underlying psychopathology, such as test anxiety. It seems that the activation of positive self-representations in memory plays an important role in self-perception. The aim of this article was to determine the effect of strengthening memory representations on self-esteem in people with test anxiety. This study was based on a quasi-experimental design with pretest and post-test. According to retrieval competition approach, a training package was designed to promote self-esteem and after verifying its content validity by 5 expert psychologist, the intervention was administered in 10 sessions (a one-hour session per week). Participants were 10 high school students with test anxiety diagnosis which were selected by purposive and available sampling; and completed Spielberger Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) before and after the intervention and also one month follow up. Data analysis was performed using one-way trend analysis (one-way ANOVA with repeated measures). The results indicated that this intervention could lead to improve self-esteem and decrease test anxiety in participants (p˂0.01) and this trend continued until one month follow-up. As a result, it seems that interventions on the factors underlying psychopathology, such as low self-esteem, can have beneficial as well as proactive effects in this area and We may be able to make changes in self-concept even with no deliberate challenge to the thoughts.