The Effects of Stress and Anxiety on the Academic Performance of Students: A Cross-Sectional Experimental Study

Abstract

Research in education often explores factors impacting students’ academic performance While numerous studies have sought to explore the influence of anxiety on working memory, a noteworthy gap exists in the investigation of this relationship within the context of Algerian EFL undergraduates. This study aims to redress this imbalance by probing the impact of anxiety on working memory and assessing the degree to which anxiety can debilitate this cognitive function. Adopting a cross-sectional experimental research design, the study utilises Spielberger’s Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for measuring anxiety levels, visual observation methods to gauge stress, and the forward and backward subtest of the Wechsler Working Memory Scale (WWMS) for measuring working memory capacity. The participant cohort comprised 45 first-year EFL undergraduates from the English department. Participants' anxiety levels were first quantified using STAI, after which they were tasked with a challenging dual-task activity involving concurrent reading comprehension and information retention. The WWMS was administered in the form of a text discussing the societal impacts of social media, with stress visually monitored throughout the process. The findings highlight the detrimental effect of anxiety on working memory, as exemplified by the superior performance of non-anxious participants compared to their anxious counterparts.