GROUP DIFFERENCES (AGE, SEX, AND SOCIAL CLASS) IN CHILDREN'S SCHOOL ANXIETY AND IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SCHOOL, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANXIETY AND CHILDREN'S ATTITUDE PATTERNS WERE EXPLORED. SEVERAL THEORIES AND EARLIER STUDIES IN THIS AREA ARE DISCUSSED. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 480 STUDENTS IN GRADES FIVE, SEVEN, AND NINE, ACROSS TWO DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS. BASIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CALLED FOR AN AGE X SEX X SOCIAL CLASS PARADIGM WHICH RESULTED IN A 12-CELL DESIGN. INSTRUMENTS USED WERE THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PAPER AND PENCIL QUESTIONNAIRE INVENTORIES. CORRELATION AND MULTI-VARIANT ANALYSIS PROCEDURES WERE USED, AND THE RESULTS SUMMARIZED IN TABLES. IT WAS FOUND THAT--(1) CHILDREN INCREASINGLY DISLIKE BOTH THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL AS THEY GROW OLDER, (2) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GIRLS LIKE THE ACADEMIC ASPECTS MORE THAN BOYS, (3) LOWER CLASS ADOLESCENTS LIKE AND VALUE THE ACADEMIC ASPECTS OF SCHOOL MORE AND VALUE SOCIAL CONTACTS MORE THAN UPPER CLASS CHILDREN, AND (4) LOWER CLASS CHILDREN MANIFEST A HIGHER DEGREE OF TEST ANXIETY, ESPECIALLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, RESEARCH RESULTS, AND INSTRUMENTATION ARE APPENDED. THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED AS STUDY 1 IN SCHOOL ANXIETY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, EXPLORATORY STUDIES, REPORT 4, IRCOPPS MIDWEST RESEARCH CENTER FOR PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES, ANN ARBOR, MICH., PP. 1-101. (PS)