PARENTING STYLES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AS PERDICTORS OF EXAMINATION ANXIETY AMONG STUDENTS OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NIGERIAN LANGUAGES, ABA, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined parenting styles and personality traits as predictors of examinationanxiety among student National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. 400 studentsof National Institute for Nigerian Languages, aged 18-48 years (mean-age 30.1) and SD 8.10 were sampledusing convenient sampling technique. A predictive design was used while the Parenting Style Scale, (PSC)Big Five Personality Inventory (BPI) and Examination Anxiety Scale (EAS) were the instruments. Statisticswas Hierarchical regression. Result indicated that only authoritarian parenting significantly predictedexamination anxiety (R2 = .079, t = 2.434; p < .05). All the dimensions of personality traits significantlypredicted examination anxiety, with openness to experience (R2 = .238, t = 5.672; p < .05),conscientiousness (R2 = .238, t = 3.350; p < .05), agreeableness (R2 = .238, t = 5.278; p < .05) andneuroticism (R2 = .238, t = 3.490; p < .05) positively predicting examination anxiety while extraversion(R2 = .238, t = -2.978; p < .05) negatively predicted examination anxiety. Recommendation was for parentsto abstain from using authoritarian parenting on the children, so as to reduce students’ examinationanxiety.