Test anxiety and performance over battery of projective test used for personality assessment in selection

Pages: 633-641
Durlabh Singh Kowal (DRDO Scientist “D” Selection Centre Central Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)
Anam Masood (Masters in Clinical Psychology Barkatullah University Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)
Vivek Jha (Lieutenant Colonel, Senior GTO Selection Centre Central Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)

Anxiety is defined as the subjective feeling of apprehension, worry, and tension caused by the perception of situations as psychologically or physically threatening (Spielberger, 1972). Researchers distinguish between trait and state anxiety as dispositional and transitory experience respectively. The test anxiety is an anxiety experienced by the individuals in a test situation which differs on nature of test and purpose of undergoing test. Most of the researchers showed concern in relationship between test anxiety and academic success. This paper investigates relationship between Test Anxiety and Performance at the time of selection of Armed Force Officer Cadre applicants over a battery of projective tests for personality assessment. A sample of 122 male subjects (71 Fresher & 51 Repeater) pooled through purposive sampling had undergone a Battery of Projective Test comprising Thematic Apperception Test, Word Association Test, Situation Reaction Test and Self Description in group testing condition. Test Anxiety Inventory which consists of two subscales viz. Worry and Emotionality, developed by Spielberger et al. (1978) was administered prior to administration of Projective Test Battery. Results revealed significant difference between Test familiarity (Fresher & Repeater) and Emotionality t (107) =2.02, p<.05); Performance and Result χ2 (1) = 22.11, p<0.01). However, no significant differences were found between Worry and Test familiarity, Performance, Result; between Emotionality and Performance, Result; between Total Anxiety and Test familiarity, Performance, Result. Similar study can be replicated Interview and Objective tests for assessing personality at the time of recruitment and selection.