Self-Esteem and Optimism as Mediators in the Relationship Between Test Anxiety and Life Satisfaction Among a School-Based Sample of Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this research was to assess the mediating role of self-esteem and optimism in the correlation between test anxiety and life satisfaction. The study group comprised 201 females (50.6%), 185 males (46.6%) and 11 students without stated gender (2.8%) for a total of 397 high school students. The ages of adolescents included in the study group varied from 14 to 19, with a mean age of 16.09 (SD = 1.09). The research used the Test Anxiety Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Life Orientation Test and a personal information form developed by the researchers as data collection tools. According to the results of correlation analysis, there were significant correlations between test anxiety, self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction. According to the mediation test results, self-esteem and optimism have full mediating roles in the correlation between test anxiety and life satisfaction. The results obtained are discussed with reference to the literature.