Sands, Amy (2024) Processing efficiency theory and performance on a high-order cognitive task: the effect of state anxiety. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Testing is widely used across lifespans to evaluate an individual’s ability with practical implications for a person’s future academic and career goals. High levels of anxiety have repeatedly been associated with poorer task performance due to anxiety, impacting the working memory system. Eysenck and Calvo’s (1992) processing efficiency theory is a dominant theory exploring the anxiety-working memory relationship, with clear distinctions between performance effectiveness (e.g. outcome) and processing efficiency (e.g. effort). Limited research explores the physiological measures of workload. The purpose of this study was to examine the processing efficiency theory in the context of a working memory task with three increasing levels of difficulty (1-back, 2-back, and 3-back). To gather data, participants (N = 62) were recruited to attend a quasi-experimental study and placed into a high or low anxiety group according to results on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Participants engaged in the N-back task, comprising three levels of difficulty with measurements of response time, physiological workload (ECG), and subjective workload (NASA-TLX). A quasi-experimental research design was utilised, that involved a mixed-factorial design to examine the effect of high and low anxiety on performance and efficiency. The analysis aimed to determine if there are significant differences in the response time, and physiological and subjective workload between high-anxiety and low-anxiety groups at each of the three N-back difficulty levels. Results indicate that the interaction effects of high anxiety on performance and workload were significant, with most results demonstrating differences on the 2-back and 3-back. The findings of this study add to the existing body of literature on processing efficiency theory and support the notion that heightened cognitive anxiety can lead to decreased processing efficiency.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Dr Watling, Chris |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jan 2026 06:15 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jan 2026 06:15 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Processing Efficiency Theory, state anxiety, working memory, repeated measures ANOVA, performance, efficiency, N-back, ECG, physiological workload, NASA-TLX, cognitive workload |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170106 Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520304 Health psychology |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/53113 |
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