Temperament as a Moderator of Threat Interpretation Bias in Chinese Adolescents With High Test Anxiety

ABSTRACT This study examined whether Chinese adolescents with test anxiety exhibit threat interpretation bias, and how temperament moderates in this relation. A sample of adolescents ( n = 1210, mean = 12.27 years of age) were recruited to complete online questionnaires assessing test anxiety, threat interpretation bias, and temperament. Correlation and MANCOVA analyses assessed the relations between test anxiety, temperament, and threat interpretation, with demographic variables controlled. Results showed that compared to their low test anxiety counterparts, adolescents with high test anxiety demonstrated a significant tendency towards threat interpretation bias in both test‐related and unrelated situations, accompanied by higher level of negative emotions and lower level of perceived control. Effortful control moderated the link between test anxiety and threat interpretation bias ( F = 2.24, Wilks's λ = 0.99, partial η 2 = 0.02). These results showed that high test anxiety in adolescents is associated with threat interpretation bias, and temperament influences this relation, indicating that interventions for test anxiety should address these biases and consider individual temperament differences.