Michele Moore

Variations in Test Anxiety and Locus of Control Orientation Michele Moore

This study investigated the prevalence of test anxiety and locus of control orientation inthree groups of middle school students: Achieving Gifted (AG), Underachieving Gifted(UAG), and Nongifted (NG) students. Although none ofthe groups received extreme scores on either instrument, a 3 x 2 MANOVA indicatedsignificant differences between the groups by gender and achievement classification (AG, UAG, and NG). Underachieving gifted students were more externally oriented thanachieving gifted students. There was also a significant difference in the locus of controlorientation between achieving gifted and nongifted students; nongifted students weremore externally controlled than achieving gifted students. In regards to underachievers, males were more externally controlled than females. Regarding test anxiety, femalesconsistently reported higher levels of anxiety than males. Findings suggest the need forscho ol interventions to reduce test anxiety among females and to assist students in developing the thought processes that give them a sense of control over the events in their life, in particular, their academic performance.