IIT researchers identify physiological markers to help manage test anxiety

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras have identified measurable physiological indicators that can help pinpoint students most vulnerable to test anxiety, paving the way for new, targeted interventions that could revolutionise how educational systems approach stress and performance, according to officials.

The research has been published in Behavioural Brain Research, an international peer-reviewed journal publishing studies on the neurobiological basis of behaviour and cognitive processes in humans and animals.

The study sheds light on how the brain and heart interact differently in students who struggle with anxiety during exams, offering a scientific basis for early identification and personalised coping strategies.

Test anxiety affects an estimated 81 per cent of Indian students, according to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT, 2022), often impairing academic performance and long-term mental health. While some students manage to perform under pressure, others fall into avoidance behaviour, unable to cope effectively.

According to Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, the research team sought to understand why this happens, focusing on objective, physiological data that moves beyond the self-reported perceptions.

"They discovered that when the brain-heart communication network breaks down during stress, certain students are more likely to experience heightened anxiety and avoidance, revealing a clear biological distinction between adaptive and maladaptive test responses," he told PTI.

"The study's breakthrough lies in integrating two physiological markers: Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA)a brain-based indicator of emotional regulationand Heart Rate Variability (HRV)a measure of the heart's adaptive control. Together, these signals help identify students predisposed to anxiety," he added.

Balasubramanian explained that the team found that those with a negative FAA pattern showed significantly weaker heart regulation during stress, meaning that their anxiety predisposition could override the heart's ability to stay balanced in an evaluative setting.

"This nuanced understanding transforms how we view academic stressnot as a purely psychological issue, but as one grounded in measurable physiological interactions," he said.

Swathy Parameswaran, Research Scholar, IIT Madras, informed that these insights open up immense possibilities for practical applications. By training artificial intelligence systems on these psycho-physiological markers, it could soon become possible to develop non-invasive, real-time monitoring tools that alert educators and mental health professionals to students at risk, without waiting for visible signs of distress.

"The findings also support the design of personalised stress management and behavioural interventions that could be embedded within school and university wellness programs, offering proactive support rather than reactive treatment," she said.

Although preliminary, the study, conducted with 52 participants, marks a critical step toward integrating neuroscience with educational psychology.

The team now aims to scale the research by involving larger and more diverse participant groups and exploring additional factors like sleep patterns and activity levels to refine predictive models. Advanced techniques, such as EEG-based connectivity mapping, will also be employed to deepen the understanding of heart-brain dynamics under stress.