A Multidimensional Scale for University Students' Academic Anxiety: Development, Validation, and Measurement Invariance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25217/0020269780800Abstract
Despite the widespread prevalence of academic anxiety among university students, existing measurement instruments often fail to adequately capture contemporary academic stressors or exhibit consistent validity across cultural and disciplinary contexts. This study developed and validated the Students’ Academic Anxiety Scale (SAAS), a multidimensional tool designed to comprehensively assess academic anxiety in diverse university populations. Scale development followed established psychometric procedures, including literature review, student interviews, and expert evaluations. A total of 631 students participated, divided into exploratory (n = 315) and confirmatory (n = 316) samples. The analyses revealed a stable three-factor structure-cognitive, physiological, and behavioral dimensions-with excellent model fit indices (CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.035, SRMR = 0.038). Internal consistency was high across all dimensions (Cronbach’s α > 0.80), while convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed. Measurement invariance across gender and academic disciplines further supported the scale’s cross-group applicability. The SAAS thus represents a psychometrically sound, culturally adaptable, and up-to-date instrument for identifying academic anxiety, facilitating early recognition and targeted interventions among university students.
References
10.1348/0007126042369802
10.1007/s10578-006-0023-8
10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469
10.1037/e353852004-001
10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2404261
10.53894/ijirss.v8i2.5505
10.3389/feduc.2025.1534244
10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2164
10.1007/s00127-008-0345-x
10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.054
10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149
10.5243/jsswr.2010.8
10.1037/h0046016
10.4324/9781032646527-4
10.1006/ceps.2001.1094
10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105866
10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5
10.2307/2136404
10.4324/9781315827506
10.1177/21676968231188759
10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
Driscoll, R. (2007). Westside Test Anxiety Scale validation. American Test Anxieties Association. https://www.amtaa.org/res/
10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.288
10.1037/1528-3542.7.2.336
Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage Publications Limited.
10.1177/19485506211019844
10.1177/002224378101800104
10.3389/fpubh.2023.1287532
10.4135/9781446287866
10.2466/pr0.1994.74.2.395
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1585058
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2009). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
10.1111/bjep.12644
10.1037/1040-3590.7.3.238
10.7334/psicothema2019.306
Hoare, E., Thomas, K., & Ofei-Ferri, S. (2025). Evidence-based practices in school settings for student wellbeing. Australian Education Research Organisation. https://www.edresearch.edu.au/research/research-reports/evidence-based-practices-school-settings-student-wellbeing
10.1080/10705519909540118
10.25217/0020236410700
10.62527/joiv.9.3.2448
10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199328710.013.027
Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford Publications.
10.1016/j.lindif.2017.06.004
10.1093/oso/9780195126013.003.0036
10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24384
10.1037/10546-004
10.1353/csd.2018.0011
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
10.1016/j.ssresearch.2022.102805
10.1177/0734282907303760
10.1097/00006199-198611000-00017
10.1037/met0000624
Martínez-Monteagudo, M. C., Inglés, C. J., Sanmartín, R., Aparisi, D., Delgado, B., & García-Fernández, J. M. (2025). Psychometric properties of the School Anxiety Inventory in Chilean adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1514936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1514936
Nguyen, T. K., Nguyen, V. T., Nguyen, H. A. T., & Dang, T. M. L. (2022). The impact of accessing COVID-19 information on Facebook on students’ stress levels. Journal of Psychology, 9(282), 72–84.
10.1038/s41598-025-94355-w
10.1007/s40596-014-0205-9
10.1007/s10648-006-9029-9
10.1007/s10648-024-09909-7
10.4324/9781003271536-7
10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.004
10.1037/spq0000183
10.1037/spq0000236
10.1037/a0026838
10.1177/21676968251357346
10.1097/IPC.0000000000001499
10.1111/jopy.12333
10.2196/21279
10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092
10.1080/00050067.2010.482109
10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01994
10.1186/s12966-025-01718-7
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1443375
10.1177/14614448211065425
10.1177/109442810031002
10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.048
10.3390/ijerph20043657
10.1177/0011000006288127
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1649890
Zeidner, M. (1998). Test anxiety: The state of the art. Plenum Press.
10.1177/07342829251317251
10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1601955
10.62997/rl.2024.31023
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ifdil Ifdil, Khairul Bariyyah, Paul Arjanto, Awalya Siska Pratiwi, M. Fahli Zatrahadi, Yulian Hermanus Wenno, Sawal Mahaly, Vando Kristi Makaruku
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
