Theory that has as its goal the explanation of the relationship between anxiety and performance.. In this theory, anxiety has two functions: 1. Anxiety increases worry which results in taking up attentional resources. 2. Worry at the same time identifies the task as important and that results in increased effort on the individual’s part, thus negating the lessened attention capacity.
PROCESSING-EFFICIENCY THEORY: “Theoretically, worry about a task can be a mixed blessing.”