The mediating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between academic resilience and test anxiety in a sample of Turkish adolescents

Abstract

Test anxiety negatively affects the academic development and psychological health of adolescents. High test anxiety may cause a decrease in the academic performance of adolescents. In this study, the role of psychological resilience in the relationship between test anxiety and academic resilience was examined. This study was conducted with a total of 565 adolescents (65.5% female and 34.5% male) aged between 12 and 19 in Turkiye (with a mean age of 14.04 and a standard deviation of 1.43). Adolescents completed Test Anxiety-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Adolescents, Westside Test Anxiety Scale, and The Academic Resiliency Scale. For data analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were utilized to examine the relationships between variables. Acording to the results of the study, there was a positive relationship between academic resilience and psychological flexibility, a negative relationship between psychological flexibility and test anxiety, and a significant negative relationship between psychological flexibility and test anxiety. Academic resilience was found to predict psychological resilience positively and test anxiety negatively. In addition, psychological resilience had a significant negative effect on test anxiety. Academic resilience and psychological resilience explained 52% of the variance in test anxiety. psychological flexibility alone accounts for approximately 49% of the variance, while academic resilience independently explains about 36% of the variance in test anxiety. In addition, the significant mediating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between academic resilience and test anxiety was confirmed. According to these results, it seems important to improve both academic resilience and psychological in adolescents to reduce test anxiety. Academic resilience and psychological flexibility predict test anxiety in adolescents. Psychological resilience level has a mediating role in understanding test anxiety in adolescents. There is a need for an integrative model that includes academic resilience and psychological flexibility in reducing test anxiety in adolescents.