How Do Different Types of Anxiety Affect Academic Performance in University Students?

What you need to know

• Subject-specific anxiety (math or literacy) is directly related to academic performance in that subject, while general anxiety is not.
• Students experience increased state anxiety when completing tasks in subjects they are anxious about.
• Women tend to report higher levels of most types of anxiety compared to men, but patterns of relationships between anxiety and performance are similar across genders.

Understanding Anxiety and Academic Performance in University Students

Anxiety is a common experience for many university students, with up to 40% reporting debilitating levels of anxiety. But how exactly does anxiety relate to academic performance? This study set out to explore the complex relationships between different types of anxiety, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and performance on math and literacy tasks among university students.

Types of Anxiety Examined

The researchers looked at several different types of anxiety:

1. Trait anxiety: A general tendency to feel anxious across many situations
2. State anxiety: Temporary anxiety experienced in a specific situation
3. Test anxiety: Anxiety specifically related to taking tests or exams
4. Math anxiety: Anxiety about math-related activities
5. Literacy anxiety: Anxiety about reading and writing tasks

They also measured ADHD symptoms, as these can overlap with anxiety symptoms.

Key Findings on Anxiety and Academic Performance

Subject-Specific Anxiety Matters Most

One of the most important findings was that subject-specific anxiety was most directly related to academic performance. Students who reported higher levels of math anxiety tended to perform worse on math tasks, while those with higher literacy anxiety performed worse on reading and writing tasks.

Interestingly, general trait anxiety and test anxiety were not directly related to performance on either math or literacy tasks. This suggests that feeling generally anxious or nervous about tests may not necessarily impact your grades as much as feeling anxious about a specific subject.

Immediate Effects of Subject-Specific Anxiety

The study found that students’ anxiety levels changed as they completed different tasks. Those who reported high math anxiety experienced increased anxiety after completing math tasks, but not after literacy tasks. Similarly, students with high literacy anxiety felt more anxious after literacy tasks, but not math tasks.

This immediate increase in anxiety when confronting a feared subject could help explain why subject-specific anxiety impacts performance - the anxiety may interfere with concentration and cognitive resources needed to complete the task well.

ADHD Symptoms and General Anxiety

While ADHD symptoms and general trait anxiety were not directly related to academic performance, they were associated with higher levels of all types of academic anxiety (test, math, and literacy anxiety). This suggests that students who struggle with attention or general anxiety may be more prone to developing anxieties about specific academic subjects or situations.

Gender Differences in Anxiety

The study found some interesting patterns when it came to gender and anxiety:

• Women reported higher levels of trait anxiety, test anxiety, and math anxiety compared to men.
• There was no significant difference between men and women in reported levels of literacy anxiety.
• Women reported lower levels of literacy anxiety compared to other types of anxiety, while men reported similar levels across anxiety types.
• Despite these differences in anxiety levels, the patterns of relationships between anxiety and academic performance were similar for both men and women.

These findings align with previous research showing that women tend to report higher levels of anxiety in general. However, the similar patterns of relationships between anxiety and performance across genders suggest that anxiety impacts academic outcomes similarly regardless of gender.

Implications for Students and Educators

Understanding these relationships between anxiety and academic performance can be valuable for both students and educators:

1. Identifying subject-specific anxieties may be crucial in addressing academic struggles. General anxiety screening may not capture these specific concerns.

2. Interventions aimed at reducing subject-specific anxiety (e.g., math anxiety) may be more effective in improving performance than general anxiety reduction techniques.

3. Educators should be aware that students may experience immediate increases in anxiety when confronted with tasks in subjects they fear. Providing support and anxiety management strategies specific to these moments may be helpful.

4. While women may report higher levels of anxiety overall, it’s important to remember that anxiety can impact academic performance for all students.

5. The overlap between ADHD symptoms and anxiety highlights the importance of comprehensive assessment when students are struggling academically.

Conclusions

• Subject-specific anxiety (math or literacy) is more directly related to academic performance than general anxiety or test anxiety.
• Students experience immediate increases in anxiety when completing tasks in subjects they’re anxious about, which may explain the impact on performance.
• While women tend to report higher levels of most types of anxiety, the relationships between anxiety and academic performance are similar across genders.

This research highlights the importance of considering specific types of academic anxiety when addressing student performance concerns. By targeting subject-specific anxieties, educators and mental health professionals may be able to more effectively support students in achieving their academic potential.