#9400. Starting Tests With Easy Versus Difficult Tasks: Effects on Appraisals and Emotions

November 2026publication date
Proposal available till 08-06-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

The title of the journal is available only for the authors who have already paid for
Journal’s subject area:
Education;
Developmental and Educational Psychology;
Places in the authors’ list:
place 1place 2place 3place 4
FreeFreeFreeFree
2350 $1200 $1050 $900 $
Contract №9400.1 Contract №9400.2 Contract №9400.3 Contract №9400.4
1 place - free (for sale)
2 place - free (for sale)
3 place - free (for sale)
4 place - free (for sale)

Abstract:
Tests in educational contexts often start with easy tasks, assuming that this fosters positive experiences—a sense of control, higher valuing of the test, and more positive and less negative emotions. Although intuitive and widespread, this assumption lacks an empirical basis and a theoretical framework. We conducted a field experiment and randomly assigned students to an easy-to-difficult or a difficult-to-easy condition in a mathematics test. Perceived challenge was measured along with control appraisals, value appraisals, and emotions (enjoyment, pride, anxiety, anger, boredom).
Keywords:
Achievement emotions; cognitive appraisals; control-value theory; perceived challenge; task difficulty; task order

Contacts :
0