Test taking anxiety is a very common issue among college students. Research indicates that physical activity/exercise may help diminish the symptoms of test taking anxiety. Current research has studied the relationship between varying forms of exercise and test-taking anxiety using anxiety measures such as the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity/exercise on self-reported test taking anxiety and anxiety scores on the STAI. A total of 267 college students completed an informed consent form preceding an online survey instrument. The survey collected self-reported information such as grade point average, text-taking anxiety, and physical activity/exercise habits; subjects also completed the STAI. Students who participate in moderate-to-high physical activity/exercise scored significantly lower (representing lower anxiety levels) on the STAI in comparison to students who participate in moderate-to-low physical activity/exercise. This would suggest that moderate-to-high physical activity/exercise may reduce academic anxiety such as test-taking anxiety in college students.

1. Nicole Bracciale and Dr. Michele
Skelton
Department of Integrative Health
Science

2. http://exerciseismedicine.org/
“Calling on all health care providers to assess and
review every patient’s physical activity program at
every visit.”

3.  The more certain you are that know the material the less you
experience test anxiety
 Affects much more than just academic performance
 Studies show that anxiety can be reduced by physical
exercise (60% maximum heart pressure)
◦ 15 minutes 3 times a week
◦ Gymnastics
◦ Volleyball
 Found among millions of students in the world
◦ Elementary school to college, as well as graduate schools and medical
schools
Akandere, Mevhibe,
www.thesportjournal.org/article/effect-
physical-exercise-anxiety

4.  Exercise improves your mood
◦ Stimulates brain chemicals that make you happier and
more relaxed
 Exercise combats chronic diseases
 Exercise helps manage your weight
◦ The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn
 Exercise boosts your energy level
◦ Delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues
 Exercise promotes better sleep
◦ Sleep improves your concentration, productivity, and mood
◦ Can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep
www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise

5. To see the exercise effects on GPA, BMI, and on the
scores of the STAI with students who believe to have
test taking anxiety

6.  Survey for the State Trait Anxiety Inventory was
adapted from Akandere et al (1) and was made
available via surveymonkey.com by way of a group
on facebook.com
 Survey was 45 questions
◦ Demographic questions (7 questions)
◦ State Trait Anxiety Inventory (20 questions)
◦ Test anxiety and academic performance (10 questions)
◦ Exercise habits (8 questions)

7.  267 usable responses
◦ College –aged (20.6 ± 3.25)
◦ Year in school
◦ What school attending
 Classification of subjects
◦ Belief of test taking anxiety
◦ Non-belief of test taking anxiety
◦ Belief that exercise helps test taking anxiety
◦ Belief that exercise does not help test taking anxiety

8.  119 students believe that they have test taking
anxiety, while 147 students believe that they do not
have test taking anxiety
 The 119 that believe they have test taking anxiety
scored significantly higher on the STAI than those
that do not believe they have test taking anxiety
 There is no significant difference in BMI between
students who believe they take have test taking
anxiety and the students that believe they do not

9. Table 1: Body Mass STAI Score
Index
Test taking 23.69±4.27 40.71±11.55
anxiety
No test taking 23.60±4.80 35.37±11.50
anxiety

10.  There is a significant difference between the “low”
exercise group and the “high” exercise group, but
not the “low” and “moderate,” in terms of scoring on
the STAI and BMI

11. Table 2: STAI Score BMI
Exercise group:
Low 40.43±11.95 24.09±5.59
Moderate 37.48±11.83 23.57±3.30
High 32.84±9.87 22.86±3.65

12.  The G.P.A. in participants who believed to have test
taking anxiety was lower than the participants’
G.P.As who believe they do not have test taking
anxiety

13. Table 3: GPA
Yes to Test Taking Anxiety 3.05±.49
No to Test taking Anxiety 3.36±.48

14.  There is a significant difference in the G.P.A. of the
participants that believe they have test taking
anxiety in comparison to those that do not believe
they have test taking anxiety
 Low exercise groups had a significantly higher STAI
score and BMI in comparison to the high exercise
group, but there are no differences between low and
moderate exercise groups

15.  Use the full State Trait Anxiety Inventory to test for
trait anxiety as well as general (state) anxiety
 Gather more participants from other universities
and majors and see if there is a difference in GPA,
levels of test anxiety, and exercise habits
 Incorporate actual exercise into the study, making
the participants exercise for 45 minutes in the
exercise of their choice and then take the STAI
◦ Have some participants exercise alone and some in groups
and see if there is a significant difference in results of GPA,
BMI, and STAI

16.  Marcus Tullius Cicero: “It is exercise alone that
supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor”
 John Adams, 2nd president of the United States:
“Exercise invigorates, and enlivens all the faculties
of body and of mind…it spreads a gladness and
satisfaction over our minds and qualifies us for
every sort of business, and every sort of pleasure”

17.  I would like to thank Dr. Michele Skelton for all of
her help and support in this project, the IHSC
department, my friends who helped greatly with the
distribution of this survey, and Dr. Ivan Fleishman
for his help with accessing and scoring the results of
the STAI.

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