Investigating the relationship between religious orientation and anxiety in students of Payame Noor Khoy University

 Exam anxiety is one of the types of situational anxiety that is closely related to students' performance. Because religion can play a moderating role in influencing stressful and anxious situations. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between religious orientation and test anxiety in male and female students of Payame Noor Khoy University.

This study was performed by descriptive correlation. 377 students of Payame Noor Khoy University (190 girls and 187 boys) were selected by random cluster sampling to participate in the study. Data collection tools were a questionnaire of religious orientation relying on Islam and a questionnaire of Sarason's test anxiety. Pearson correlation, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.

The findings showed a significant negative correlation between test anxiety and religious orientation (r = 0.168, p ≤ 0.001). The results of t-test showed that female students experienced more test anxiety than male students (t = -2.170, p <0.031). There is no significant difference between the dimensions of religious beliefs and rituals (religious orientation) of male and female students of Payame Noor Khoy University (t = 0.234, p <0.524). However, there is a significant difference between the moral dimension (religious orientation) of male and female students of Payame Noor Khoy University (t = 0.031, p <0.1300)

Reliance on religion and religious practices by students can be effective in reducing test anxiety