Previous research indicates that anxiety could interfere with task performance and skill acquisition. Anxiety is a factor in determining the acquired levels of knowledge and skills required to operate a motorcycle in traffic. Instructors in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Motorcycle RiderCourse are continually alert to difficulties that students may have during the course, and anxiety in the student presents a special challenge that has not yet been directly addressed. This study examined the anxiety levels of 107 students at the beginning of the Motorcycle RiderCourse. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was utilized in an attempt to identify individuals who exhibit higher levels of anxiety than other individuals in the course. The initial part of the study was designed to determine if the STAI can reliably predict drop-outs from the course. There was a non-significant, positive correlation between initial anxiety levels of the students and Skills Test scores. A class-by-class analysis suggested that the STAI could be used as a screening device to identify some students at-risk for performance problems due to anxiety. Experienced riders actually seemed to be more affected by anxiety than were novice riders. The second part of the study, to design an effective intervention program, has been delayed until additional data can be obtained. At this time, the primary activity in the area has been to send questionnaires to various state programs to determine what measures are being taken in an effort to reduce anxiety among students enrolled in the course. Possible models for intervention will be briefly discussed.
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