Standardized testing is an integral part of the English and American education systems. However, the use of high-stakes testing has unintended consequences, one of which is test anxiety. Over the last 50 years, increased attention has been directed to developing tools to identify students experiencing test anxiety. However, many test anxiety…

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic associated with mental health problems. However, its features are commonly misunderstood, and many people are unaware of the risks it can pose. This study aimed to develop the first self-report measure of perfectionism literacy. That is, the degree of knowledge someone has about…

Cultural variations in affective experiences are observed. Research on positive affect with refined categorizations has been limited. This study examined the Affect Valuation Theory and its measure, the Affect Valuation Index (AVI), using a sample of high school students from rural China (N = 676, M[subscript age] = 16.17 years, SD = 0.94). The…

While the importance of having self-esteem is widely recognized and has been studied extensively, another core component of the self-concept has been relatively neglected--a sense of mattering to other people. In the current article, it is argued that mattering is an entirely unique and complex psychological construct with great public appeal and…

The current study examined the feasibility of adapting an existing measure to create a brief mattering measure suitable for use with adolescents. We then evaluated this brief measure by testing the hypothesis that mattering in adolescents is associated broadly with positive achievement outcomes and associated motivational orientations and…

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children-Short Form (PANAS-C-SF) in a diverse sample of 15-year-olds in the United States [N = 4382]. Multiple measurement models, including a one-factor model, two-factor orthogonal and oblique models, a three-factor model (PA, Fear, and Distress),…

Previous work has focused on positive feelings of mattering, which pertain to the human need to feel significant. In the current article, we examine a complementary yet distinct construct involving feelings of not mattering that may arise from being marginalized and experiences that heighten a sense of being insignificant to others. We also…

The study aimed to test the psychometric properties of a Portuguese adaptation of the "Adolescent Students' Basic Psychological Needs at School Scale" (ASBPNSS). For this, we used data from a sample of eighth graders (N = 1648; M[[subscript age] = 14.1 years; 46.9% girls) from Portugal. Cronbach alpha and omega coefficients showed the…

The "Questionnaire for the Assessment of Enjoyment in Physical Education" (QUAEPE) is an instrument for the assessment of three specific facets (pleasure, flow, recovery) of students' enjoyment in physical education. Based on a sample of 1,351 students, the aim of the present study was to examine measurement invariance across school…

Few studies have examined the psychometric properties of the test-related items from the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ). Using a sample of 955 university students, we examined the factor structure of 12 emotion items measuring test-related anger, boredom, enjoyment, and pride. Results indicated the four emotions were distinct, allowing…

The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) is commonly used to compare groups on math anxiety. Group comparisons should however be preceded by a demonstration of metric and scalar measurement invariance, which is currently only available for undergraduate students in the USA. This study tested for metric and scalar measurement invariance of AMAS…

Experiences of wonder should be valued, protected, and promoted in academic settings. Identification of learning environments and interventions that cultivate students' capacity for wonder (CfW) first requires a means to measure it. We used a mixed-methods approach to develop and validate a measure of CfW. In the qualitative component (Studies…

In the current article, we describe the development and validation of a self-report measure of self-generated stress and its associations with measures of perfectionism, self-criticism, and distress. The Self-Generated Stress Scale is a seven-item inventory that taps the tendency to see oneself as someone who generates and adds to existing…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and examine possible wording effects on a sample of 1,429 students from the United Arab Emirates University. Correlated traits-correlated uniqueness as well as correlated traits-correlated methods were used to examine…

In an era of test-based accountability, there has been a renewed interest in understanding the relationship between test anxiety and test performance. The development and validation of test anxiety scales have grown with the rise of test anxiety research. Research is needed to critically examine the psychometric properties of these scales prior to…