Just Breathe: The Effects of Emotional Dysregulation and Test Anxiety on GPA

Project Innovation, Inc. P.O. Box 8508 Spring Hill Station, Mobile, AL 36689-0508. Tel: 251-343-1878; Fax: 251-343-1878; Web site: http://www.projectinnovation.biz/csj.html

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Test Anxiety; Grade Point Average; Emotional Disturbances; Academic Achievement; Measures (Individuals); Prediction; Stress Variables; Correlation; Cognitive Processes; Undergraduate Students; Regression (Statistics); Likert Scales

0146-3934

College is considered to be one of the most evaluative and stressful times during a student's academic career. A student's inability to regulate emotions may be correlated with an increased level of test anxiety. Previous research has indicated significant relationships between emotional dysregulation and generalized anxiety disorders (e.g., Mennin, Heimberg, Turk, & Fresco, 2005). Few, if any, previous studies have looked at how emotional dysregulation effects academic performance or test anxiety. The present study used the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004), the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale (Cassady & Johnson, 2002), and self-reported Grade Point Average (GPA) to determine the relationship between emotional dysregulation, test anxiety, and the effects on academic performance. As predicted, the present study found that emotional dysregulation was predictive of cognitive test anxiety scores. Contrary to prediction, test anxiety was not related to GPA. However, one subscale of the DERS, Strategies, was inversely related to GPA. Overall, future research should focus on uncovering the cognitive mechanisms that relate test anxiety and emotional dysregulation.

As Provided

26

2017

EJ1132229