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Self-report and heart rate: Examining the need for integrating measures of Japanese college entrance examination test anxiety. #1344

The main aim of this presentation is to assess the value of integrating self-reported measures of Japanese college entrance examination test anxiety (TA) with heart rate (HR) response. Manifesting as self-perceived levels of threat or pressure during evaluative scenarios, TA can trigger cognitive, physiological, and behavioural responses (Fairclough et al., 2006). The level or intensity in which an individual experiences TA can negatively affect academic performance (Hembree, 1988) and as a correlate, a testing system may fail to accurately assess an individual's IQ (Zeidner & Matthews, 2003). It is therefore crucial to ensure the validity of TA measuring systems (Zeidner & Matthews, 2003). Data drawn from effective TA measuring systems can aid researchers in a) accurately identifying the extent to which TA impacts assessment outcomes, and b) developing strategies to help test anxious students succeed (Hembree, 1988; Zeidner & Matthews, 2003).

In the following presentation, historical models that have examined the effects of anxiety on performance will be investigated, and key validated measures that are commonly used in TA research studies will be discussed (e.g. Cassady & Johnson’s (2002) Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale). Until recently, the majority of these TA measures have been self-reports (Daly et al., 2011). However, there are limitations to findings that draw conclusions exclusively using subjective measures (Coughlin, 1990; Flessati & Jamieson, 1991; Putwain & Daly, 2014). Consequently, there has been a call for integrating self-reports of anxiety with more objective parameters, such as HR response (Fairclough et al., 2006; Daly et al., 2011; Ganster et al., 2018). With the emergence of affordable wearable technology (e.g. Fitbit) there is now an opportunity to integrate self-reported measures of Japanese college entrance examination TA with HR response.