Journal of Psychosocial Research

Vol. 10, No. 1, 2015, 33-42

Optimism, Self-esteem and Social Support among Students

with High and Low Test Anxiety
A.V. Bharathi, S. Sasikala, E. Nandhitha and S. Karunanidhi

ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to find the difference in optimism, self-esteem and social
support between students of high test anxiety group and low test anxiety group.
The sample chosen for the present study were students studying in XII standard of
State Board schools in Chennai city and the sample size was 300. The data were
collected using Convenience Sampling Technique. The tools used for the present
study were Measuring Perceived Test Anxiety in Adolescents by Friedman and
Bendas-Jacob (1997), Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) by Scheier, Carver and
Bridges (1994), Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS) by Malecki,
Demarray and Elliot (2000) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory (1965). After
Quartile Deviation, the data of the students in the 1st and 3rd quartile were categorized
as low and high test anxiety group respectively. Further, t-test was used to find the
difference in optimism, self-esteem and social support between students in high
and low test anxiety group.

Key words: Test anxiety, Optimism, Self-esteem, Social support, Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION
When an individual perceives an event being a threat to their ego or self-esteem, the
basic human emotion experienced by the individual is anxiety which consists of fear
and uncertainty (Sarason, 1988). A commonly cited definition of anxiety refers it as a
physiological state characterized by cognitive, physical and behavioural components
(Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). One of the most threatening events that cause
anxiety among students today seems to be test anxiety or a fear of examinations. When
students develop an extreme fear of performing poorly in an examination, they
experience test anxiety. Test anxiety is the uneasiness, apprehension, or nervousness
felt by students who had a fear of failing an examination. Students who have test

Corresponding author Email : sasikala.1976@gmail.com, profkarunanidhi@gmail.com

ISSN 0973-5410 print/ISSN 0976-3937 online
2014 Prints Publications Pvt. Ltd.
34 A.V. Bharathi, S. Sasikala, E. Nandhitha and S. Karunanidhi

anxiety experience any of the following: fear of embarrassment by a teacher; the

association of grades with personal worth; time pressures; fear of alienation from
parents or friends; or feeling a loss of control. While the term test anxiety refers
specifically to students, many workers share the same experience with regard to their
career or profession. The fear of failing at a task and being negatively evaluated for
failure can have a similar negative effect on the adult.
Test anxiety involves a combination of physiological over-arousal, worry and
dread about test performance, and often it interferes with normal learning and lowers
test performance. It has been found that 30% of the students suffer from various levels
of test anxiety (Shaked, 1996). Wine (1971, 1982) in her cognitive attentional theory
of test anxiety, claimed that test anxiety has a negative influence on an individuals
performance due to the fact that the test anxious person tends to divide their attention
between personal variables and variables connected to the task. In contrast, non-test
anxious persons are able to focus their attention more on the task itself. Test anxiety
reduces the performance of those who experience it (Sarason, 1980). In addition, it
causes emotional suffering (Ben-Dov, 1992) too. When students develop an extreme
fear of performing poorly in an examination, they experience test anxiety. Test anxiety
is a major factor contributing to a variety of negative outcomes including psychological
distress, academic underachievement, academic failure and insecurity (Hembree, 1988).
Test anxiety is a serious problem for many children and adolescents attending
elementary and secondary schools (Ergene, 2003).
Test anxiety is a product of an interaction between an individuals disposition
eg., personal traits such as optimism/pessimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem and perceived
threat of the situation encountered, which is the outcome process of transactional models
of anxiety related performance (Endler & Parker, 1992; Lazarus, 1999). Hence, personal
traits such as optimism and self-esteem and societal factors like social support play a
vital role in influencing test anxiety.
Optimism as a construct, strikes a chord of interest in many domains of psychology.
Optimism is defined as a set of cognitive expectations or attributions about the future
that are positive and hopeful (Peterson, 2000). Optimism indicates thinking positively
about the future and well-being, which indicates that an optimistic person is not only
significantly less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety, but also much more likely
to succeed in academics, occupational, political, and athletic fields (Seligman &
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).
Self-esteem is another component which is a causal factor of test anxiety (Endler
& Parker, 1992). Self-esteem is defined as a stable sense of personal worth or worthiness
(Rosenberg, 1965). Self-esteem is defined as the experience of being competent to
cope with basic challenges of life and being worthy of happiness (Branden, 1969).

J. Psychosoc. Res.
 Optimism, Self-esteem and Social Support among Students with 35
High and Low Test Anxiety

These days, the basic challenge for students is examination and self-esteem is an
important construct to overcome the fear of examination. Peleg (2009) reported that
self-esteem was negatively correlated with test anxiety among students.
High test anxious children are more likely to underperform when compared with
low test anxious children (Hembree, 1988, Owens, Stevenson, Norgate & Hadwin,
2008). Test-anxiety rises steadily due to factors such as increasing pressure from parents
and teachers, the increasing complexity of learning materials, etc. (McDonald, 2001;
Zeidner, 1998). Test-anxiety increases due to the pressures, and it can be reduced by
supportive and encouraging environment that allows for open communication.
Demarray and Malecki (2002) have found a significant negative relationship between
social support and anxiety. However, research indicates that higher levels of teacher 11
support or a better social network with teachers and peers are associated with better
school-related outcomes such as low anxiety, depression (Furlong, Chung, Bates, &
Morrison, 1995). Thomas and Choi (2006) had found that social support activities reduce
the level of stress during the examination for students.
Test anxiety is common among students in twelfth standard, as their future is
determined purely based on the marks obtained in their exams which act as a turning
point in their prospective career. Therefore, the students are expected to excel in
academics during twelfth standard, both by parents and teachers. This kind of
expectations arises due to high level of competition for professional courses and also
societal pressure which make the students give more importance towards examinations.
Another reason for the increasing importance towards the examination and marks
could be the awareness of education and competition all over the globe as propagated
by public media which heightens the expectations among parents. Finally, all these
factors combine and this internal pressure faced by the students make them feel anxious.
In order to overcome this test anxiety, there is a need to focus on the psychosocial
variables that affect it, so that intervention can be framed focusing these variables.
Hence, an attempt was made to identify the difference in psychosocial variables such
as optimism, self-esteem and social support between low and high test anxiety students
of twelfth standard. The study also intended to identify the gender differences in
optimism, self-esteem and social support.

HYPOTHESES
1. There would be a difference in optimism between students in high and low test
anxiety group.
2. There would be a difference in self-esteem between students in high and low test
anxiety group.

J. Psychosoc. Res.
36 A.V. Bharathi, S. Sasikala, E. Nandhitha and S. Karunanidhi

3. There would be a difference in social support between students in high and low
test anxiety group.
4. There would be no gender differences in optimism, self-esteem and social support
of students.
METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
Sample Selection
An expost facto research design was used in the study. The total sample of the study
consisted of 358 students who were studying 12th standard in State board schools.
Among them, 158 were girls and 200 were boys with the mean age of 16.5. Convenient
sampling technique was used to collect the data.
Tools Used
A self report scale developed by Friedman and Bendas-Jacob (1997) was used to assess
test anxiety of the students. Life Orientation Test (LOT R) by Scheier, Carver and
Bridges (1994) was used to assess the Optimism of students. Self esteem inventory
by Rosenberg (1965) was used to assess self-esteem of individuals. Social Support was
assessed using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale by Malecki, Demaray
and Elliott (2000).
PROCEDURE
Participants were chosen from a few State board schools who were studying in 12th
standard at Chennai city. The participants were informed about the purpose of the
study. After getting the consent and willingness to participate in the study, Life
Orientation Test, Self-esteem Inventory, Child and Adolescent Social Support scale
and Friedmans test anxiety scale were distributed to the students in a group of 25-35
at a time. The data were collected before the commencement of the Half-yearly
examinations for the students. The filled up questionnaires were received back and
the doubts asked by the participants were clarified. The participants were thanked for
their co-operation.
Statistics Used
Quartile-Deviation was used to find out the low and high test anxiety group based on
first and third quartile. Therefore, out of the total sample of 358 students, the students
falling in the first quartile (90) and third quartile (93) were only included in the present
study. The rest of the sample were excluded for the further analysis. Independent
sample t test was used to find the difference between the low test anxiety group and
high test anxiety group on optimism, self-esteem and social support and to find the
gender differences in all these variables.

J. Psychosoc. Res.
 Optimism, Self-esteem and Social Support among Students with 37
High and Low Test Anxiety

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1
Comparison of optimism between students of low test anxiety and high test
anxiety group
Variable N Mean SD t value
Low test anxiety 90 14.3 4.48
9.96**
High test anxiety 93 19.9 2.88
**Significance .01 level
In the present study, it is found that there is a significant difference in the level of
optimism among students of high and low test anxiety group. The level of optimism
was found to be high among students with high test anxiety. Optimism is related to
psychological benefits such as greater satisfaction, more positive affect and fewer
depressive symptoms (Chang & Sanna 2001; Marshall, Wortman, Kuslas, Hervig, &
Vickers, 1992; Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 2001) while pessimism is related to detriments
such as more depressive symptoms which are more anxious, depression, guilt etc.,
negative affect and psychological stress. (Strunk Lopez, & DeRubeis, 2006). Peterson
(2000) emphasizes that high optimism gives desirable outcomes because it fosters a
general state of resilience and enthusiasm. Highly aspiring students tend to perceive
threatening situation in a positive manner due to which they have the confidence to
achieve. Boman and Yates (2001) in their study suggested that dispositional optimism,
as a basic personality response, is directly linked to students positive adjustments in
their interactions with the school environment. Therefore, students striving for
excellence tend to have positive expectations. However, that determination towards
the goal make the students feel more anxious about the examination which could be
the reason for high optimism among the students in high test anxiety group. Hence,
the hypothesis that there would be a difference in optimism among students of high
and low test anxiety group is accepted.

Table 2
Comparison of self-esteem between students of low test anxiety and high test
anxiety group
Variable n Mean SD t value
Low test anxiety 90 21.23 5.85
8.47**
High test anxiety 93 27 2.91

**Significance .01 level

J. Psychosoc. Res.
38 A.V. Bharathi, S. Sasikala, E. Nandhitha and S. Karunanidhi

In the present study, it is found that there is a significant difference in the level of
self-esteem among students of high and low test anxiety group. The level of self-
esteem was found to be high among the high test anxiety group. This may be due to
the fact that a person with high test anxiety tends to study well and score high. This
helps them to gain confidence about their ability. They also tend to possess a lower
fear of failure, self-satisfaction and socially acceptable behavior. In contrast, findings
of a study indicated that test anxious students tend to experience self-doubts about
their ability to perform, have low self-esteem and engage in self-depreciating thoughts
which results in poor performance during evaluative situations associated with desired
goals (Zeidner, 1998). It is also reported that students who dont bother about the
examination tend to engage in more negative thinking due to low self-esteem in them
(Mwamwenda, 1994). The present findings revealed cultural factor associated with
test anxiety. In India, parents pamper and encourage their wards during the
examinations which makes them feel confident and good about themselves. This boosts
their self-esteem. On the other hand, students tend to feel anxious in meeting the
parental and societal expectations as they are provided with lots of encouragement.
Due to this high self-esteem was found among students of high test anxiety group.
Hence, the hypothesis which stated that there would be a difference in self-esteem
among students of high and low test anxiety is accepted.
Table 3
Comparison of social support between students of low test anxiety and high test
anxiety group
Variable n Mean SD t value
Low test anxiety 90 141.7 16.2
1.95*
High test anxiety 93 147.5 23.4

*Significance .05 level

In the present study, it is found that there is a significant difference in social

support among students of high and low test anxiety group. The level of social support
is found to be high among students in high test anxiety group than students in low
test-anxiety group. Social support is viewed as a construct that is often predictive of
adaptive behaviour and reduced maladjustment (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998).
Demarray and Malecki (2000) have found significant positive relationships between
social support and a variety of positive indicators including social skills, academic
competence and adaptive skills. Social support is considered as a key construct in
increasing positive physical and psychological outcomes. One study had reported that
support from other sources such as teacher support, classmates, peers and close friends
resulted in a good social, emotional and psychological well-being (Furlong, Chung,

J. Psychosoc. Res.
 Optimism, Self-esteem and Social Support among Students with 39
High and Low Test Anxiety

Bates & Morrison, 1995). The present findings reveal that there is an impact of social
support on test anxiety. Students with high aspiration and motivation tend to receive
more emotional, moral and physical support from their parents and teachers. Few
close friends also help the students to top in the class or school. This support and
involvement helps the students in high test anxious group to achieve their desire.
Probably, due to this the student in high test anxious group perceive better social
support than students from low test anxious group. Hence, the hypothesis, that there
would be a significant difference in social support among students of high and low test
anxiety group is accepted.
Table 4
Gender difference in optimism, self-esteem, social support of Students
Variable Gender n Mean SD t value
Optimism Female 158 17.65 4.599
6.22**
Male 200 14.82 4.003
Self-esteem Female 158 25.12 5.18
4.91**
Male 200 22.38 5.26
Social Support Female 158 145.62 1.67
2.30*
Male 200 140.88 1.26
**Significance .01 level *Significance .05 level

In the present study, it is found that there is a significant gender difference in

self-esteem, optimism and social support. It indicates that the level of self-esteem,
optimism and social support is higher among girls than boys who are studying in 12th
standard. The present findings could be due to many reasons. First of all, these days
most of the families hardly have one or two children. The upbringing of children is
totally different where girls are brought up with equal privilege and responsibility
like boys. Moreover, girls spend most of their time with their family members and
teachers which make them perceive more support unlike boys who tend to fritter most
of their time with their friends. Further, the competitive environment as well as the
societal emancipation for girls today to equally compete with boys makes the girls to
perceive even a normal support as a greater one. So, this perceived support from the
parents, teachers, peers, etc., diminishes their inferiority complex and boosts up their
self-esteem. The comfort, support and encouragement are given by the parents to
their girls in a polite and soft manner than the boys which also enhances the self-
esteem of girls. Also, in the present study it is found that there is a significant difference
in optimism. This may be due to the social support and self-esteem which tend to make
the girls think positively about their career and future. The self-esteem in the students
advances their self-confidence, self-worth, self-respect etc., which also make them feel

J. Psychosoc. Res.
40 A.V. Bharathi, S. Sasikala, E. Nandhitha and S. Karunanidhi

capable which in turn leads them to frame their future aspects in an optimistic way.
Hence, the null hypothesis which states that there is no gender difference in self-
esteem, social support and optimism of students is rejected.
CONCLUSION
The present study gives us an insight that our educational system of evaluating the
knowledge of the children tend to generate more anxiety among school going children.
It also reveals the important role played by the psychosocial variables such as optimism,
self-esteem and social support in influencing test anxiety among 12th standard students.
Similarly, girls were found to be more optimistic, possess high self-esteem and perceive
more social support than boys. Thus, the study concludes the importance of an awareness
programme for the parents, teachers and the school counselors to support and help the
wards to deal with the examination in a positive way with confidence.
Test anxiety is an important component that exists in most of the students with
different economic backgrounds and grade levels. Helping students to effectively
manage such anxiety is a challenging task that requires a genuine team effort. Students,
parents, teachers, school counselors and school administration need to find ways like
awareness about the test taking strategies, open communication, dealing with pressure,
importance to extra curricular activities, etc.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A.V. Bharathi, Post graduate student Department of Psychology, University of Madras (2009-2011).
S. Sasikala, Assistant Professor Dept of Psychology, University of Madras.
E. Nandhitha, Post graduate student Department of Psychology, University of Madras (2009-2011).
S. Karunanidhi, Professor and Head Department of Psychology, University of Madras.

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