Evaluation of Coping Styles, Meta-cognitive Beliefs and Test Anxiety in the University Students: Investigating the Mediating Role of Coping Styles

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the coping styles, meta-cognitive beliefs and test anxiety by considering the mediating role of coping styles based on the Self-regulatory executive function in the university students. In 2010, 638 students of Tehran’s kharazmi University and Agricultural faculty of Tehran University were selected through Stratified sampling method from October to November. Students completed Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations of Endler and Parker, Test Anxiety Inventory, Metacognitions Questionnaire. In this study the correlational method was used. Spearman correlation test was used to determine the relationship between the variables and the path analysis method was used to determine the contribution of each component. The Results showed that the emotion-oriented and problem-oriented coping strategies had a mediating role in the relationship between the meta-cognition and test anxiety. But avoidance coping strategy had no mediating role in this relationship. Of five dimensions of meta-cognition, only the positive meta-cognitive beliefs and cognitive confidence had a direct effect on the test anxiety. But the effects of other dimensions were indirect. With respect to the results, focusing on the coping strategies and meta-cognitive beliefs can play an important role in the students’ test anxiety. It is suggested that the treatment interventions which are based on the meta-cognition and coping should be considered for treatment of test anxiety disorder.