Personality Types as Correlates of Test Anxiety among University-Based and Hospital-Based Nursing Students in Selected Nursing Schools in Enugu Urban

ABSTRACT

Test anxiety is an unpleasant state characterized by feelings of tension, apprehension, worrisome thoughts and the activation of the autonomic nervous system when an individual faces evaluative achievement-demanding situation. It is the uneasiness felt by students who had fear of failing an examination and/or test taking. This leads to hyper-arousal conditions that result in the physiological, emotional and intellectual changes that prevent the use of previously learned information during test-taking or examination. Test is one of the main methods of assessment in schools at all levels, and it is part of students’ life. Personality type is the psychological classification of different types of individuals which, brings about the differences in people. The purpose of this study was to determine personality types as correlate of test anxiety among university-based and hospital-based nursing students in selected nursing schools in Enugu Urban. Descriptive correlational design was used for the study. Two hundred and eight (208) nursing students participated in the study. One hundred and fifty (150) from the Department of Nursing Sciences, UNEC and fifty eight (58) from School of Nursing University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. Instrument for data collection were Test Anxiety Inventory, (TAI) and Big Five Personality Inventory (BFPI) Data was collated and analyzed with the aid of the computer statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 19.0 using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) and Chi square (X2 ) There was no sampling done as all the final year nursing students were used for the study. Results of the research findings revealed that there was no significant relationship between personality types and test anxiety of male nursing students (0.277, P > 0.05) hence the Ho is accepted. Also, there is no significant relationship between Openness, Extraversion and Agreeableness personality types and test anxiety of female nursing students (P>0.05).Therefore, the Ho is accepted too. However, there is significant negative relationship between conscientiousness and test anxiety of female nursing students (r= -0346, P