Evaluation Apprehension

Evaluation apprehension describes the anxiety felt by an individual who is performing a task in front of others or being judged by others. The anxiousness arises from the thought of being negatively rated or not receiving positive feedback.

For example, evaluation apprehension occurs in research participants who are being rated or observed by researchers. This can cause issues in research because the evaluation apprehension can cause the participants to not respond in a manner that they normally would.