Breaking the Test-Anxiety Loop: Using Self-Regulated Learning to Improve Bar Exam Performance

Breaking the Test-Anxiety Loop: Using Self-Regulated Learning to Improve Bar Exam Performance

By Sarah M. Bonner, PhD

Taking high-stakes tests such as the bar examination causes stress for most people. This is normal, and a certain level of stress likely has a positive relationship with performance by increasing attention, focus, and motivation. According to the Yerkes-Dodson law,1 stress and performance have an inverted U-shaped relationship: under conditions of lowest stress, performance is low; under moderate stress, performance reaches its highest level; and under highest stress, performance again drops. Research has shown that this relationship between stress and performance varies among individuals. Each of us likely has our own inverted U-shaped curve, and a sweet spot of moderate ...

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Breaking the Test-Anxiety Loop: Using Self-Regulated Learning to Improve Bar Exam Performance

Breaking the Test-Anxiety Loop: Using Self-Regulated Learning to Improve Bar Exam Performance

By Sarah M. Bonner, PhD

Taking high-stakes tests such as the bar examination causes stress for most people. This is normal, and a certain level of stress likely has a positive relationship with performance by increasing attention, focus, and motivation. According to the Yerkes-Dodson law,1 stress and performance have an inverted U-shaped relationship: under conditions of lowest stress, performance is low; under moderate stress, performance reaches its highest ...

Read More