Which term describes anxiety that can help a learner stay on task and may even be positive rather than debilitating?

Which term describes anxiety that can help a learner stay on task and may even be positive rather than debilitating?

• A. Bailey’s facilitative anxiety
• B. Debilitating anxiety
• C. Trait anxiety
• D. State anxiety

Answer: (A)

A little bit of nervous energy can actually help you focus and stay on task. This idea is captured by Bailey’s facilitative anxiety, which describes anxiety that motivates a learner to prepare, pay attention, and push to perform well. It can feel positive and energizing rather than crippling, helping you stay engaged with the task at hand. In contrast, debilitating anxiety refers to levels of fear that overwhelm you and interfere with thinking and performance. Trait anxiety describes a person’s general, long-term tendency to view situations as threatening, not a moment-to-moment state. State anxiety is about how you feel in a specific moment or situation, and while it can be mild or intense, it doesn’t inherently specify the constructive, task-focused arousal that Bailey’s facilitative anxiety highlights. So the term that best fits the idea of anxiety helping a learner stay on task and possibly feeling positive is Bailey’s facilitative anxiety.

A little bit of nervous energy can actually help you focus and stay on task. This idea is captured by Bailey’s facilitative anxiety, which describes anxiety that motivates a learner to prepare, pay attention, and push to perform well. It can feel positive and energizing rather than crippling, helping you stay engaged with the task at hand.

In contrast, debilitating anxiety refers to levels of fear that overwhelm you and interfere with thinking and performance. Trait anxiety describes a person’s general, long-term tendency to view situations as threatening, not a moment-to-moment state. State anxiety is about how you feel in a specific moment or situation, and while it can be mild or intense, it doesn’t inherently specify the constructive, task-focused arousal that Bailey’s facilitative anxiety highlights.

So the term that best fits the idea of anxiety helping a learner stay on task and possibly feeling positive is Bailey’s facilitative anxiety.