Can we Mitigate the Impacts of Test Anxiety Through Reappraisal Interventions? A Replication Study in Science Courses Across Multiple Institution Types in the United States

There is compelling evidence that test anxiety-related performance is contributing to documented trends in attrition in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. While some anxiety-mitigation interventions have yielded promising results, these interventions have not been replicated broadly, specifically at different institution types. In the current research, we (a) examine how test anxiety relates to performance in STEM courses, by student characteristics and institution type; and (b) test, via replication, a cognitive reappraisal intervention across 12 courses at seven higher education institutions. We used a pre- and postintervention survey to assess test anxiety and combined these data with course performance and experimental condition: intervention or placebo. We confirm that test anxiety is negatively predictive of performance. We also note that Black students at predominantly white institutions have significantly higher test anxiety than their counterparts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. However, the intervention failed to impact self-reported test anxiety or student performance. The work we describe here is characterized by several contributions to our growing understanding of test anxiety, performance, and student attrition in STEM.