01276nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260007600042653001200118653001700130653001400147653002700161653001500188653001700203653001900220100002700239245008000266300001200346490000600358520065400364022001401018020001401032       1996                            d  c07/1996bSociedad Española para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estrés10aAnxiety10aTest anxiety10aCognition10aCompensatory Resources10aEfficiency10aPerfor-mance10aAcademic Tasks1 aManuel Gutierrez Calvo00aAnxiety and cognitive functioning: Effects on performance in academic tasks  a173-1940 v23 aFirstly, this paper deals with an adaptive conceptualisation of anxiety as a reaction which mobilizes resources to avoid anticipated threats; and test anxiety is proposed as typical of academic contexts. Secondly, the attentional interference theory and the processing efficiency theory are presented, along with the corresponding experimental evidence, to account for the negative effects of anxiety on cognitive tasks. In addition, the alternative hypothesis of a basic capacity and knowledge deficit is discussed. Finally, implications of these theories for reading comprehension and performance in examinations in academic contexts are analised.  a1134-7937  a2174-0437