The role of perfectionism and obsessive compulsive symptoms in the relationship between emotion regulation difficulty and exam anxiety

Exam anxiety, has become one of the priority topics in psychology and in academic researches. Therefore, exam anxiety is studied in many researches. However, although there are many studies done, it can be seeen that there is need for more studies. Therefore, in this current study, exam anxiety, perfectionism, obsesif compulsif semptoms will be conducted together and also the role of perfectionism and obsesif komulsif semptoms on the relationship between exam anxiety and emotion regulation dysregulation will be evaluated. In the present study, 450 university student (246 women and 189 man) participated. In order to evaluate exam anxiety level Exam Anxiety Scale was used, to determine the perfectionism level Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale was used, to evaluate the obssesive compulsive semptoms severerity Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Questinnaire was used and in order to evaluate the emotion regulation difficulties Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) was used. As a result of the study, it can be seen that there is a direkt relationship between exam anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation (β= .13, t=2.32, p< .001). Also, perfectionism and obsessif compulsive semptoms are mediators between the relationship between exam anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation (β=.03, t=5.69, p<.001). Furthermore, awareness, clarity, goals, strategy factors of difficulties in emotion regulation scale; not bein sure, family criticism and anxiety of making misktake factors of perfectionism scale: checking factor of obsessive compulsive semptoms and sex were fournd to be the determinants of the exam anxiety. The results of the present study would be englightening for the literature.