Stress and achievement

The nature of stress reactions is considered and their relation to the concepts of “tension” current in the 1930s and to more recent work on arousal and autonomic reactivity. It is noted that while mild degrees of stress improve performance, more severe degrees lead to impairment; and a theory to account for this is outlined. Relationships between reactivity to stress and certain facets of personality are then discussed, together with their implications for the achievements found in students with different types of personality. Finally, possible effects of chronic stress are considered in terms of the known effects of acute stress and an attempt is made to draw some implications for personality theory and educational practice.