In the past several decades several studies have investigated the relationship between anxiety and attributional style in students, supporting that the anxious students trend to attribute failure to internal factors, such as lack of ability, and success to external factors, such as luck. As well, a significant negative relationship has been obtained between anxiety and test performance; that is, high levels of anxiety are associated with performance decrements.
The aim of the present study was to invetigate the relationship between anxiety (general anxiety and test anxiety), attributional style, and academic achievement, as a whole.
The following questionnaires were administered to a sample of 141subjects (students in secondary schools of Madrid): Inventario de Situaciones y Respuestas de Ansiedad –ISRA, Test Anxiety Inventory –TAI, and the learned helplessness scale KASTAN. As well, grade average was obtained.
Results on correlations between these topics are presented and discussed, remarking an integrated approach between anxiety, attributional style and academic achievement.



Key Words: Anxiety, Test Anxiety, Attributional Style, Academic Performance.


1. Correspondence to: Prof. Amalia Escalona, Dpto. Psicología Básica (Procesos Cognitivos). Facultad de Psicología. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 28223 Madrid. SPAIN. E mail: aescalona@correo.cop.es