Prediction of the Correlation between Test Anxiety and Psychological Well-Being Considering the Mediating Role of Religious Orientation in University Students

Background and Objectives: Test anxiety is one of the most common types of anxieties in the learning environment that can be correlated with the psychological well-being of university students. However, the religious orientation of the individuals may have effects on this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to predict the correlation between test anxiety and psychological well-being, emphasizing the mediating role of religious orientation. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was performed based on the structural equation model. The statistical population included the students in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran, in the first semester of 2018. In total, 343 students were randomly selected using a cluster sampling approach. Data were collected using Spielberger’s Test Anxiety Inventory, Ryff’s scales of psychological well-being, and Allport’s Religious Orientation Scale. Following that, the data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, and the Sobel test. Results: The results showed that the causal relationship of test anxiety and psychological well-being with religious orientation had a good fit. Accordingly, the internal and external religious orientation had a positive and negative correlation with psychological well-being, respectively, and both dimensions of religious orientation play a mediating role in the relationship between test anxiety and psychological well-being. Conclusion: Considering the negative effects of test anxiety on the psychological well-being of medical students, it can be said that religious orientation plays a key role in the moderation of this correlation.