Multivariate effect of aptitude and anxiety with performance on task sequence in concept acquisition

THREE HYPOTHESES WERE INVESTIGATED, USING 81 VOLUNTEER FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FROM GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY CLASSES. THE FIRST HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT THE ANXIETY LEVEL OF A LEARNER WHILE HE IS ENGAGED IN PERFORMING LEARNING TASKS IS A BETTER PREDICTOR OF HIS PERFORMANCE THAN HIS ANXIETY LEVEL BEFORE HE BEGINS THE TASKS. THE STUDY FINDINGS AFFIRMED THAT. THE SECOND HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT LEARNERS AS A GROUP WOULD PERFORM BETTER IN EASY-TO-HARD TASK SEQUENCES THAN IN HARD-TO-EASY SEQUENCES. THE STUDY FINDINGS CONFIRMED THAT. THE THIRD HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT TASK SEQUENCE WOULD AFFECT ANXIETY LEVELS DURING PERFORMANCE OF THE SEQUENCE OF TASKS, AND RESULT IN A DISORDINAL INTERACTION. THIS TOO WAS CONFIRMED. THE RESULTS SHOWED VERY LITTLE CORRELATION BETWEEN PRE-TASK ANXIETY LEVELS AND PERFORMANCE, OR BETWEEN PRE-TASK AND WITHIN-TASK ANXIETY LEVELS. THE LARGER PURPOSES OF THIS RESEARCH INVOLVE DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMED LEARNING MATERIALS FOR INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION.