Validity of the German Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-G) in an Australian sample

Abstract

Test anxiety (TA) is a prevalent issue among students that can result in deleterious consequences, such as underachievement. However, a contemporary measure that has been validated for use with Australian students seems to be lacking. This study, therefore, investigated the suitability of the German Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-G) for use with Australian university students. While the original TAI-G contains 30 items and was designed to measure four factors (worry, emotionality, interference, and lack of confidence), differing factorial models have been supported in the literature using either the original or a shortened 17-item version of the measure. These differing TAI-G models were tested and compared in the current study via confirmatory factor analysis using 224 Australian university students. As expected, results supported the superior fit of the 17-item four-factor model. Additionally, the convergent validity of the measure was supported since measures of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and general anxiety were all found to correlate significantly with the TAI-G in the hypothesised directions. Finally, the finding that all of the TAI-G subscales had acceptably high reliabilities led to the conclusion that the 17-item TAI-G is a valid and reliable measure of TA in an Australian university population.