Developing a causal model of communication patterns and perfectionism on test anxiety with the mediating role of learning styles

Authors
Mohamad reza Sarvehoveida 1
mokhtar arefi 2
mahmoud goudarzi 1
omid moradi 1
1 Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
2 Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the development of a causal model of communication patterns and perfectionism on test anxiety with the mediating role of learning styles among students.

Methods: The descriptive correlational research method was structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all male first-year high school students in Kermanshah in the academic year 2022-2023 (6578 people), of which 338 were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. The research tools included the questionnaires of Koerner and Fitner Patrick's family communication patterns (1990), Najarian et al.'s perfectionism (1378), Abolghasemi et al.'s test anxiety (1375), and Kolb's learning styles (2005). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation method, structural modeling, partial least squares (PLS) algorithm and software (SPSS) and was analyzed at a significance level of 0.05.

Findings: The findings showed that family communication patterns have a positive and significant effect (p<0.001; β=0.310) and perfectionism has a negative and significant effect (p<0.001; β=-0.257) on learning style. Also, family communication patterns have a negative and significant effect on test anxiety (p<0.001; β=-0.198), perfectionism on test anxiety (p<0.001; β=0.682), and learning style on test anxiety (p<0.001; β=-0.229). Also, the results showed that the indirect effect of the variable of family communication patterns on test anxiety through learning style was equal to (p<0.001; β=0.211) and the indirect effect of perfectionism on test anxiety through learning style was equal to (p<0.001; β=0.215).

Conclusion: Based on the research findings, it can be said that communication patterns, perfectionism, and learning styles play a key role in predicting students' test anxiety, and it seems necessary for counseling and psychotherapy centers to pay more attention to these variables in predicting students' test anxiety.
Keywords
test anxiety
parental perfectionism
Family communication patterns
learning styles
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