Test anxiety

The test anxiety (English test anxiety ) is a fear of evaluation of personal performance, which can prevent the affected party from asking his knowledge and / or skills in a test to the test. Basically, however, it can also lead to an increase in performance. As a disease, it is classified only in special cases. Your assignment after it is a special form of social evaluation anxiety ( social phobia). Test anxiety occurs in individuals with learning disabilities or behavioral problems to a greater extent than in individuals without such problems.

Formation

The test anxiety arises from the fact that a person fear (or its symptoms) feel before or during a test. They affect the performance of those affected, but is used by the test items and persons close to them as a pretext to excuse unsatisfactory performance or " mental blocks " or explain. Occasionally, especially in high school exams, even member of the Examining fear voltages may be exposed to similar (less manifest and not through sanctions threatened, however ), as from inexperience or testing in collegiate exams. As the samples are Schenk also the examiners specific methods for " autogenous " and " heterogeneous " stress relief available.

While cognitive development, test anxiety can develop for the first time in ages 8 to 11 years. Poor academic or athletic achievements are seen as the cause that compromise the self-esteem of the person concerned, based on athletic and mental performance.

Handling

Pathological anxiety must be diagnosed and treated. It is necessary to bring the natural state of stress prior to examination on an individual level conducive. This requires a slow anspringe Direction Family stimulating, one prone to anxiety examinee measures to dampen his mental constitution. Namely, it can not be to avoid anxiety, but rather to learn to fear handling and productively use.

A light excitation in the form of stage fright holds the didactics Siegbert A. Warwitz therefore not detrimental, but for verification setting conducive to good because it increases alertness and increases alertness, concentration and ability to react. To achieve an optimal mental state examination he recommends to his students:

• Early confrontation with exam situations of all kinds, which should be self- exams at first ( habituation test )
• Systematic examination Organization in the form of a longer-term planning and preparation with total grace period in the last three days (relaxation, liberation of thought )
• Test simulations in the preparation stage
• Perception of opportunities for job shadowing in examinations
• Becoming familiar with the peculiarities of the auditor, his questioning technique, his specialties, his favorite questions, his aversions
• Avoid anxiety -inducing conversations with other specimens
• Waiver of concept study or test calls immediately before the date
• Avoid the challenge of auditors errors ( himself no unfavorable Vorzeugnis exhibit )
• Autosuggestion in the sense of I can, I 'm well prepared, I can do it, others do it, too, a failure there is not ...

Handouts as of Helga Knigge - Illner offer more practical advice on how sufferers can deal with their excessive fears.

Clinical significance

The test anxiety is regarded as morbid, if it constitutes a substantial impairment of the patient, causes problems in the social environment and - especially in childhood - prevents the normal development of the person. It is formed in the ICD - code not exactly from, but this classification must also apply here.

In the U.S., this phobia, unless the restriction is demonstrated and documented, recognized on the Americans with Disabilities Act as a disability and there are special test procedures offered, when the corresponding application is submitted at least 30 days before the examination. However, test anxiety is not recognized usually from the outset as appropriate disability within the meaning of the Act.

Therapy

In cases where the test anxiety disease has character, a targeted therapy is useful. This can regulating the personal anxiety levels and technical or organizational measures such as " positive thinking ", effective learning, improving audit transparency and relaxation exercises also include psychiatric therapy approaches such as those used in other forms of anxiety disorders. Especially with drug treatments, the possible side effects deserve attention.