The Italian Multi-Faceted Test Anxiety Questionnaire (PAF-I): A validation study

Ringeisen, T.¹, Heckel, C.², Messerschmidt-Grandi, C.^3
1Berlin School of Economics and Law, Alt-Friedrichsfelde 60, 10315, Berlin, Germany
²Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, Eberhard-Leibnitz-Str. 2, 06217, Merseburg, Germany
³Claudiana College of Healthcare Professions, Lorenz-Böhler-Str. 13, 39100, Bozen, Italy

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Sinzendorfzaal, 26-09-2016 - 26-09-2019, 11:00 - 12:00

Keywords

test anxiety, multi-dimensional instrument, assessment, students

Summary

Test anxiety comprises three cognitive components (worry, interference, lack of confidence) and one bodily-affective facet (emotionality) (see e.g., Hoferichter et al., 2016). Existing measures for Italian students, however, are restricted to emotionality and worry. In response, the present study validated the Italian Test Anxiety Questionnaire (PAF-I) which simultaneously assesses all four test anxiety facets. Based on a sample of 746 Italian university students (Mage = 21.64, SD = 4.04, 42.8% male, 56.3% female), factorial, construct and criterion validity were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the expected four-factor structure. Each subscale consists of five items yielding a total of 20 items. Reliability analyses substantiated favorable properties, with McDonald´s omega ranging from .78 to .86. Latent association patterns between the four anxiety facets and the five-factor personality model indicated adequate construct validity, both in terms of convergent (positive relations between neuroticism and all four anxiety facets; negative associations between conscientiousness and interference/lack of confidence) and discriminant validity (remaining associations were almost all non-significant). Lower interference scores were related to a better average grade, supporting criterion validity. The PAF-I may be used to assess the four dimensions of test anxiety simultaneously in a time-efficient fashion in Italian-speaking academic settings.

Auteurs