The Relationship between Negative Thinking and Academic Anxiety among Undergraduate Students in a Private University in Kuala Lumpur

Ng, Wei Shaun and Ooi, Jian Wei (2026) The Relationship between Negative Thinking and Academic Anxiety among Undergraduate Students in a Private University in Kuala Lumpur. Negative Thinking and Academic Anxiety. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between negative thinking and academic anxiety, as well as examining the gender difference in academic anxiety among undergraduate students in a private university in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 126 participants, with 75 females (59.5%) and 51 males (40.5%) were recruited via convenience sampling. Participants completed an online survey which included the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) and Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS). Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient (r) and independent sample t-test were performed to analyse the data collected. Results showed that there is a significant positive and strong relationship between both variables, whereby r(124) = .696; p < .001, indicating higher levels of negative thinking are associated with higher levels of academic anxiety and vice versa. Meanwhile, no statistically significant gender difference was found in academic anxiety among undergraduate students, whereby t(124) = .141, p >.05. This suggests that females and males do not differ significantly in terms of level of academic anxiety. These findings of this study highlighted a necessity for developing intervention programmes among undergraduate students to reduce their level of negative thinking and academic anxiety.