Abstract
The presented study tests hypotheses that the so-called trait anxiety predicts increased cortisol reaction to potentially demanding situations in school, and higher levels of school achievement motivation forecast lower stress reaction in demanding situations. 237 children aged 11 to 13 years participated in the study. In the first part of the research, all 237 pupils in randomly chosen 7th grade classes, were tested by personality questionnaires B-JEPI, Piers Harris II. and a achievement motivation questionnaire MV-6.
In the second phase of the research, saliva samples were taken from 40 children and these were then analysed in VSCHT laboratories. Results of the analyses hint that the cortisol reaction to a demanding school situation is changing in relation to the self-conception of school success and level of the school achievement motivation.
Higher levels of successful performance need forecast lower cortisol reaction in demonstrated situations. On the other hand, stronger cortisol reactions appeared at higher levels of the so-called trait anxiety and higher level of the avoiding failure need.
We can state that school fear is a value, which has to be analysed deeper, both from the motivational point of view and from the point of view of its relation to performance.