Math anxiety: Relation with situational test anxiety, performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior.

Abstract

The relation of mathematics anxiety to situationally-assessed test anxiety, math performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior was investigated. Sixty-three undergraduates (23 men, 40 women) completed Suinn's Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, Fennema and Sherman's Mathematics Anxiety Scale, Sandman's Anxiety Toward Mathematics Scale, and Spielberger's Test Anxiety Inventory prior to completing three math tasks. During the math tasks, heart rate, skin conductance level, skin fluctuations, and avoidance behavior were monitored. Subjects also completed Deffenbacher's Post-Task Questionnaire, a situational measure of test anxiety, worry, and emotionality. Results indicated that math anxiety measures were more highly rated to each other than to test anxiety. Math anxiety accounted for 14-23% of the variance in two math tasks, whereas, math ability (SAT-Q) accounted for 30-42%. Rarely, did math anxiety add to the variance accounted for by ability. The physiological and avoidance measures showed little relation to math anxiety.As Dew, Galassi, and Galassi (1983) noted, math anxiety has sparked a great deal of interest, but a number of fundamental unanswered questions still surround the construct and its measurement. The purpose of this study was to investigate some of these issues more comprehensively and in the context of performance situations.First, the relation of math anxiety to test anxiety, and particularly situation-specific (state) test anxiety and its worry and emotionality components, was explored. If math and test anxiety are related, this relation should be especially evident in a math test-like situation. Second, the extent to which math anxiety interferes with performance was investigated for three math tasks to determine whether math anxiety in-This study is based on the first author's doctoral dissertation, supervised by the second author.

An Investigation of Mathematics Anxiety of Primary School Teachers

“…These studies showed parallel results (Garrosa, MorenoJimenez, Liang & González, 2008;Martinussen, Richardsen & Burke, 2007;Suran & Sheridan, 1984). Although some researchers determined that older teachers have higher mathematics anxiety levels than younger teachers (Betz, 1978;Dew, Galassi & Galassi, 1984), some researchers stated that there was a reverse relationship between mathematics anxiety and age and tenure variables (Byrne, 1994;Gold, 1985). In some studies, it is determined that age and tenure variables are not effective in mathematics anxiety (Wiggins, 1984).…”

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Act) vs. Systematic Desensitization in Treatment of Mathematics Anxiety

“…First, college students have produced significantly reduced MARS scores after receiving treatment for math anxiety (Suinn et aI., 1970;Suinn & Richardson, 1971). Second, scores on the MARS have been found to be significantly, but inversely, related to the performance of college students on a test of mathematical ability (Dew, Galassi, & Galassi, 1984).…”

Das Mathematikangstinterview (MAI): Erste psychometrische Gütekriterien

“…Mathematikangst geht weiterhin mit negativen Einstellungen zu Mathematik, einer geringen Freude an Mathematik und einem niedrigen Selbstbewusstsein in diesem Fach einher (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001;Hembree, 1990;Krinzinger et al, 2007). Insgesamt ist Mathematikangst trotz der zahlreichen Überschneidungen mit anderen Ängsten und verwandten Variablen dennoch als eigenständiges Konstrukt zu betrachten (Dew, Galassi & Galassi, 1984;Hembree, 1990;Punaro & Reeve, 2012 Ängstlichkeitsausprägung auftreten kann (Rubinsten & Tannock, 2010). Zudem scheint Mathematikangst lediglich schwach mit allgemeiner Intelligenz assoziiert zu sein (Ashcraft, 2002;Maloney & Beilock, 2012).…”