Toward Understanding the Experience of Math Anxiety Through Self-Report Objectives and Theoretical Framework

• In Event: Personal and Contextual Factors Impacting the Development and Expression of Math Anxiety

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework.

On the one hand, we know that mathematics anxiety, the negative affective reaction to situations involving mathematical thought, is associated with broad domain avoidance behaviors among students including poorer motivation to excel in mathematical study, the reluctance to enroll in advanced math classes, and choosing to not pursue careers involving math (see Moore, Rudig, & Ashcraft, 2015 for a review). On the other hand, evidence shows that high levels of math anxiety relate to processing deficits during the completion of laboratory tasks ranging from simple number comparison (Maloney, 2011) to complex arithmetic (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001), and that the construct is likely related to transient working memory function and attentional control deficiencies (Moore et al., 2015; Suárez-Pellicioni, Núñez-Peña, & Colomé, 2014).
Perhaps most troublesome are the associations showing that mathematics anxiety is inversely related to performance in standardized examinations (Hembree, 1990; Ma, 1999). Given the dynamic nature of the attitudes, beliefs, and cognitive deficiencies just described, however, the field has had difficulty interpreting the causal nature of the construct. For example, we are unsure if the global avoidance of math affects the ability of individuals to achieve domain mastery, or if online cognitive deficits associated with the construct serve to undermine the demonstration of mastery the student has achieved (Ashcraft & Moore, 2009).

Method

Our approach to this topic was to apply a prominent model of emotional self-report (Robinson & Clore, 2002) to the study of mathematics anxiety. More specifically, the Accessibility Model of Emotional Self-Report describes that the ratings offered by participants on surveys tapping into emotional constructs can vary in meaningful ways based on the kinds of information retrieved from either long-term or short-term memory during completion. Most relevant to the present project is the distinction between prospective self-report and online self-report. In a prospective report the experience in question has not yet occurred; participants must access emotional beliefs from long-term memory to evaluate how their emotional state would be altered. By contrast, an online report (occurring during or immediately after the emotional event) allows access to short-term memories of the individual’s current emotional state for report (for examples, see Robinson & Clore, 2002).

Results and Discussion

We examined these principles in the current study by manipulating the timing of math anxiety self-report within our laboratory procedure. That is, college adults were either asked to complete the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS: Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare, & Hunt, 2003) before completing a challenging math task (prospective report), or immediately after task completion (online report). All participants completed a measure of math achievement at the end of the testing session. The results show typical math anxiety effects in task completion when the AMAS was administered before (but not after) task completion. Importantly, when investigating the interrelations between self-report, math achievement, and task performance, more nuanced relationships were found that support the principles outlined in the Accessibility Model, and provide keen insight into the actual experience (and perpetuation) of mathematics anxiety in the individual.

Author

• Alex M Moore, University of Missouri - Columbia