Test anxiety, attachment styles of students preparing for university examination and anxiety levels of their mothers

This descriptive study was conducted to examine the relationship between test anxiety and attachment styles of students preparing for university examination and state-trait anxiety levels of their mothers according to mother's age, educational status and number of children.The study group was consisted of 446 grade 12 students and their mothers who study at a mid-size city approximately the population with 600.000 from different type of seven high schools. In this study, Test Anxiety Inventory and Relationship Scales Questionnaire were used to determine test anxiety levels and attachment styles of students. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Demographic Information Form developed by the researcher were used to students' mothers. At data analysis, SPSS 22 program was used. Independent groups t-test and multiple regression analysis and variance analysis (ANOVA) were administered to the data. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant relationship between test anxiety level and attachment styles of the students. Accordingly, it was found a negative correlation between test anxiety and secure attachment but also positive correlation between test anxiety and fearful, dismissed and preoccupied attachment styles statistically. Also there is a significant relationship between mothers' state-trait anxiety and students' test anxiety levels. Lastly, there is a negative correlation between the mothers' trait anxiety levels and the students' secure attachment style; but positive correlation between trait anxiety levels and fearful, dismissed and preoccupied attachment styles. The findings have been discussed in the light of literature and recommendations for school counselors, researchers, counselor educators, parents, policy makers and society. Keywords: university entrance and placement examination, test anxiety, attachment styles, state-trait anxiety, parenting skills.