ABSTRACT
Anxiety has figured prominently in the literature as one of the most ubiquitous and researched emotions in the educational arena. In fact, school-aged individuals are frequently exposed to a myriad of stressful and anxiety-evoking stimuli (parental pressures for high achievement, classroom competition for high grades, experiences of frustration and failure, teacher disapproval, peer conflict, social isolation and rejection, bullying, verbal aggression, etc.) at practically every level of their educational experience (Schutz & Pekrun, 2007). The growth of high stakes testing coupled with an audit culture in many Western school systems, characterized by performance and accountability pressures, publicized test scores, and high target standards, has prompted a renewed focus on the consequences of school assessments, such as evaluative anxiety (Putwain, 2008). Likewise, college students are often bombarded with a myriad of stressors, including exposure to novel and challenging experiences in a low control academic environment, high competition, social pressure to excel, and the need to make critical career and social choices. Indeed, even a bright high school student may be unable to adjust to the increased demands for self-initiative and autonomy in the transition to the demanding academic environment of college (Perry, Hladkyj, Pekrun, & Pelletier, 2001).
