Dysfunctional Career Thoughts, Achievement Motivation, and Test Anxiety among University Students

Individuals with dysfunctional career thoughts, low achievement motivation and high test anxiety are related by characteristics having logical similarities, indicating that perhaps they are distinct but related constructs. However, due to the limited use of the term dysfunctional career thoughts in psychological literature, (more particularly in India), the evidence regarding the correlation among these variables is lacking. In an attempt to study the relation between these three variables, 160 students (Girls=80; Boys =80) of Himachal Pradesh University were approached. Since it is empirically, demonstrated that the two components of test anxiety, worry (the cognitive component) and emotionality (the affective component) show different and specific relationship with performance (Stober, 2004). In the present study information on both these components was also collected along with total test anxiety scores. Findings of the present research shows, emotionality component of test anxiety has emerged as most important variable for present sample, showing positive and significant relationship with dysfunctional career thoughts and negative and significant relationship with achievement motivation.