mathematics anxiety Flashcards
define maths anxiety
“a feeling of tension and anxiety that interferes with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations”
maths anxiety circle of failure (4)
low performance –> negative feelings towards maths –> maths avoidance –> poor preparation –> low performance
is maths anxiety seen in people with general anxiety
both in people with and without high general anxiety
is maths anxiety the same as test anxiety
related but separate
2/3 of variance in maths anxiety might be unexplained by test anxiety
is maths anxiety correlated with general cognitive skills
Only weakly correlated with general cognitive skills
consequences of maths anxiety
Managing the unpleasant feelings triggered by maths anxiety
Taking up cognitive resources
Negative feelings associated with maths can be anticipated (Lyons & Beilock, 2012)
Engagement in “global avoidance”
can you be diagnosed with maths anxiety
Cannot be given a formal diagnosis of maths anxiety
No diagnosis in DSM-5
No diagnosis in International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
May be subsumed under generalised anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder
Many people with maths anxiety would not meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder (Luttenberger et al., 2018)
how maths anxiety is measured
Most studies on mathematics anxiety rely on self-report questionnaires
Participants asked to indicate how anxious (from ‘not anxious at all’ to ‘very anxious’) they would feel in a range of situations (usually on Likert-style scale)
e.g. Rate how anxious you would feel…
Thinking about an upcoming mathematics test one day before.
Being in class doing a mathematics problem on the board.
Adding up all the money in your piggy bank.
questionnaires for maths anxiety
Questionnaires differ in length and the age range for which they are appropriate
Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS; Richarson & Suinn, 1972) - 98 items
Abbreviated versions: sMARS (25 items; Alexander & Martray, 1989); AMAS (9 items; Hopko et al., 2003)
Several questionnaires for children/adolescents
MARS-A for adolescents (Suinn & Edwards, 1982)
MARS-E for 4th-6th grade (Suinn et al., 1988)
MAQ for 6- to 9-year-olds (Thomas & Dowker, 2000)
SEMA for 7- to 10-year-olds (Wu & Menon, 2012)
age of maths anxiety development
mostly studied in young adults (college/uni students)
maths anxiety increases in severity from Grade 5 to 12
may be present as young as 6 years of age
maths anxiety and maths achievement
Negative correlation between maths anxiety and concurrent mathematical performance (-.27 to -.48, Hembree, 1990; Wu & Menon, 2012)
Link between maths anxiety and maths performance seen by late childhood/adolescence (Barroso et al., 2021; Namkung et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2019)
Link in early childhood is less clear
three theories of maths anxiety and performance
all about relationship between poor performance and high maths anxiety
deficit theory:
- poor maths performance –> high maths anxiety
- memories of poor maths performance generate maths anxiety
reciprocal theory:
- vicious cycle of poor performance and anxiety
- higher anxiety contributes to poor performance; poor performance contributes to higher anxiety; feedback loop created
debilitating anxiety model:
- high maths anxiety –> poor performance
- Maths anxiety reduces performance by causing avoidance of maths-related situations and cognitive interference
deficit theory of maths anxiety
Maths anxiety develops as a consequence for experiencing poor maths performance
Poor mathematics performance activates memory of previous poor mathematics performance – leads to current maths anxiety
Supported by finding that children with maths disabilities found to have disproportionately high maths anxiety (e.g., Ma & Xu, 2004; Passolunghi, 2011; Rubinsten & Tannock, 2010)
check study on slide 45
debilitating anxiety model of maths anxiety
anxiety hinders mathematical performance
anxiety = avoiding maths
anxiety = attention on anxious thoughts
anxiety = depletes cognitive resources
debilitating anxiety model - treatment models
anxiety treatment leads to improved math (even without maths training or practice)
reciprocal theory of maths anxiety
both directions of influence between maths anxiety and maths performance –> bidirectional relationship
vicious cycle - feedback loop
maths anxiety leading to WM issues
WM resources vital for mathematical performance
Relation between maths anxiety and working memory - need to determine direction
anxiety –> neg thoughts –> ruminations –> WM overload –> more errors made, freezing, blanking
maths anxiety and low WM
math anxiety → disrupted working memory capacity → poorer performance
lower WM span for adults with high mathematics anxiety
lower verbal short-term and WM scores in 11- to 13-year-old children with high maths anxiety
lower WM capacity in individuals with high anxiety
WM span moderating maths performance
low WM span + high anxiety = bad maths reasoning
high WM span + high anxiety = good maths reasoning
maths anxiety and high working memory
maths anxiety affects maths performance for individuals with high working memory capacity
(also found in 5- to 8-year-old children)
strategy selection
- high working memory = use this ability = more taxing problem-solving strategies (e.g., direct retrieval)
- low working memory = avoid using ability = low-load strategies (e.g., finger counting)
cortisol study of high WM and maths anxiety
cortisol = physiological measure of experienced stress
results:
low WM = no relation between cortisol concentration and maths anxiety
high WM + high maths anxiety = higher cortisol concentration related to poorer performance
high WM + low maths anxiety = higher cortisol concentration related to better performance
risk factors for maths anxiety (3 main ones, many more with limited evidence)
Low mathematics ability
Low working memory
Genetics
Other possible risk factors from the literature
Students’ own low perceptions of their mathematics ability
Expectations about performance
Perceptions about the value of mathematics
Susceptibility to public embarrassment
Parents’ negative attitudes towards mathematics
Parental beliefs about a child’s mathematics abilities
Non-supportive teachers
Teachers with high mathematics anxiety
alleviating maths anxiety (4 effective, 2 not)
maths training in pre-service teachers to reduce effect of maths anxiety on maths performance:
- reduction in maths anxiety after completing mathematics training courses
- classroom interventions focused on improving maths performance don’t seem to be effective in alleviating maths anxiety
systematic desensitisation = gradual exposure to an anxiety producing stimulus while maintaining a relaxed state
- effective for treatment of maths anxiety
- led to improvements in maths performance
focused breathing
expressive writing
not effective: relaxation alone; group counselling
