Exam anxiety: A Comparative Study of Normal and Impaired Individuals

Abstract

Stress and anxiety play a significant role in the grades of students and accounts for their negative psychological and mental behavior. This study aims at comparing exam anxiety among normal and special children. The result of the comparison explains the reasons for anxiety. The paper also gives some recommendations to overcome the problem of anxiety. This study is qualitatively cross-sectional. The data was randomly selected from the private and governmental educational sector of Sargodha, Pakistan from the 5^th of October to the 19^th of October 2017. As a methodology, 20 individuals of matric level were selected randomly from private and governmental sectors of both special and normal individuals. 10 individuals were special, and 10 individuals were normal individuals. Anxiety among these individuals was measured by the help of the state-trait anxiety inventory instrument^. The findings of the results concluded that student’s self-created fears play a significant role in triggering anxiety among learners.  The ratio of special children under the effect of anxiety was higher in terms of confidence, controlling of nerves, exam hall ease and nausea before the exam as compared to normal individuals. Normal individuals lacked concentration, and their overthinking of getting fail was the reason for exam anxiety. Self- created fears were found to be the sole cause of anxiety among normal individuals as compared to impaired individuals where the natural deficiency emotionally destabilizes them and causes loss of their confidence. Dodson’s law has been found to overcome anxiety disorders among both types of individuals.