IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME) e-ISSN: 2320–7388,p-ISSN: 2320–737X Volume 3, Issue 4 (Sep. –Oct. 2013), PP 48-56 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 48 | Page Anxiety as Predictor of Aspiration among the Achievers * Syeda Farhana Kazmi 1 , Shabbir Ahmed Rana 2 , Sher Dil 3 & Shaista Iqbal 4 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Hazara University, Mansehra Pakistan 2. Associate Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Government M.A.O College, Lahore, Pakistan 3. Lecturer, Department of Psychology, Hazara University, Manserha Pakistan. 4. Teaching Assistant, Department of Psychology, Hazara University, Manserha Pakistan. Abstract: The present research aimed at to measure the relationship between anxiety and aspiration among academic achievers. A purposive sample consisted of 200 students with average age 15 years of both gender; 100 female students (high academic achievers =50, low achievers = 50) and 100 male students ( high academic achievers = 50, low academic achievers= 50)were taken from Higher secondary schools of Abbottabad. Taylor manifest anxiety scale (Taylor & Spence,1953) along with Study-Habit Scale( Ansari,1983) were administered on the sample. Results showed satisfactory reliability that is .747 and .836 for the both scales respectively. Analysis of results revealed that the pattern of achievement of a student depends on his/her aspiration level and anxiety has association with level of aspiration in students. Study further highlighted that achievers tend to have considerably higher achievement scores have higher aspiration as the result of perceived high anxiety. Students with low achievement scores have lower aspiration as the result of perceived high anxiety. Least-square line of Regression with achievement status as the outcome of aspiration and anxiety as the predictor variable indicated good model of fit showed that results indicate there was positive significant relationship between students’ high level of academic achievement and anxiety. The study filled some identified gapes in literature and tries to stress the need for more research on this topic. Key words: Anxiety, Aspiration, low achievers and high achievers I. Introduction Examination stress and test anxiety are pervasive problems in modern society. Every year, millions of students underperform in school and university because of heightened test anxiety, which is set of phenomenological, physiological and behavioral responses that accompany concern about possible negative consequences or failure on an exam or similar evaluative situation (Zeidner, 1998). Many psychologists are often interested in knowing the factors that cause individual differences in academic performance individually. Anxiety as the achievement of effort is now seen as possible factor that affects a person's academic ability. It varies markedly from one individual to another. Thus, some individuals will be relatively calm when it comes to completing a test, whilst others will generally perceive examinations as more dangerous or threatening and experience more intense levels of state anxiety when taking tests (Spielberger & Vagg, 1995). Aspiration of the students is a term used frequently in education. Early research helped us understand the aspirations, as an expression of the will to achieve and improve. Aspirations can be defined as the student's ability to identify and set goals for the future, while breathing in the present to work toward those goals (Quaglia and Cobb, 1996). This view the aspirations of students is the only one that combines the components of this motivation (inspiration) in the future (ambitions). There is considerable research on the association of the results and academic motivation (cited in Hornery, Craven, Yeung, & Ali, 2008) for high school students, two important academic results are as follows: aspirations of high grades and the desire for further education, these aspirations are an additional engine that could affect student motivation and academic achievement. According to McInerney, Yeung, and McInerney (2001) a sense of purpose of learning is an important psychological construct that provides two aspects of the effort, namely anxiety and motivation. There is the traditional Chinese students and their parents believe in the traditional thinking of strong associations with the aspirations of work and effort (Tsang, 1992). An aspiration level can be interpreted as a result, it takes a special position in the decision process. Topic of code in the claim level results as the successes and results below the level of aspiration as a failure. It values the overall probability of success and the total probability of failure(Diecidue and Van de Ven, 2008). Achievement aspiration is believed to be one of the driving forces for the development of a concept or idea and yours is like a virus to spiritual people to be competitive, work hard and causes more resistance. Educational aspirations relating to the early presentation of their own academic abilities and the highest level of education of individuals expected to achieve (Furlong & Cartmel, 2005).