Reassurance seeking test behavior and exam performance

The current studies examine the roles of test anxiety safety behaviors and memory confidence in test perfor-mance. In Study 1, 154 college students completed self-report measures, including measures of low memory confidence and reassurance seeking test behavior, and provided access to standardized test scores and infor-mation about their academic performance in high school. We found a significant indirect association between low memory confidence and standardized test scores through reassurance seeking test behavior. Reassurance seeking test behavior fully mediated the relationship of low memory confidence with standardized test scores. In Study 2, 310 college students completed self-report measures, including low memory confidence and reassurance seeking test behaviors, and provided access to ACT scores, SAT scores, information regarding their academic performance in high school, and introductory psychology course exam scores. Study 2 found reassurance seeking test behaviors are associated with poorer performance on standardized exams and prospectively predicted poorer performance on course exams. Study 2 failed to replicate Study 1's findings and found only marginal evidence that reassurance seeking test behaviors mediate the association between low memory confidence and perfor-mance on exams. Further experimental work to manipulate test anxiety safety behaviors is needed.