EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH (1) EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ANXIETY INFLUENCES ABILITY TEST PERFORMANCE AND (2) THE VARIOUS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES OF ANXIETY ARE RELATED. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES OF ANXIETY--(1) S-R INVENTORY OF ANXIOUSNESS, (2) AFFECT ADJECTIVE CHECKLIST, (3) TEST ANXIETY SCALE, AND (4) BENDIG'S SHORT FORM OF THE MANIFEST ANXIETY SCALE. THE 100 PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED AT RANDOM TO 1 OF 5 TREATMENT GROUPS (3 EXPERIMENTAL, 2 CONTROL), AND STRATIFIED BY SEX AND PROFICIENCY LEVEL. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS RECEIVED ANXIETY-REDUCING, NEUTRAL, OR ANXIETY-PRODUCING INSTRUCTIONS BY TAPE RECORDER BEFORE BEING ADMINISTERED AN ACADEMIC ABILITY TEST. WHILE SUBJECTS WERE PERFORMING ON THE TEST THEIR RESPIRATION RATE AND DEPTH, HEART BEAT RATE, GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, PULSE PRESSURE, AND ORAL, FACE, AND FINGER TEMPERATURES WERE TAKEN. ONE CONTROL GROUP WAS USED TO RECORD PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES DURING READINGS OF A SCHOOL TEXT INSTEAD OF TAKING A TEST. OTHER CONTROL SUBJECTS TOOK THE TEST, BUT NO PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES WERE TAKEN UNTIL THE TEST WAS COMPLETED. RESULTING DATA WERE ANALYZED. ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL FINDINGS WAS THAT EITHER ANXIETY WAS NOT A HINDRANCE TO TEST PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THIS STUDY, OR TEST ANXIETY WAS NOT MEASURED SUFFICIENTLY BY THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OBTAINED. IN ADDITION, THE VARIOUS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES WERE ESSENTIALLY UNCORRELATED. (LP)