Eric.ed.gov – Math Anxiety: What Is It?

While much progress has been made in treating math anxiety, little is yet known about its causes, correlates or effects. The present study examined factors related to the prevalence and intensity of math anxiety in college students and the extent to which math anxiety is predictive of math course grades. The 655 subjects were obtained from two math courses and one psychology course at Ohio State University. Results indicated that math anxiety occurs frequently among college students, and that it is more likely to occur among women than among men and among students with inadequate high school math backgrounds. Higher levels of math anxiety were related to lower mathematics achievement test scores, higher levels of test anxiety and higher levels of trait anxiety. Students reporting confidence in their ability to learn math and who perceived their parents and teachers as having positive attitudes toward math tended to report lower levels of math anxiety. Math anxiety was not a significant predictor of grades in math courses. However, it was the second strongest predictor (after ACT Math subtest scores) in one subject group and for females in the other subject group. (Author)