Predicting math anxiety and course performance in college women and men.

Examined the ability of the construct of mathematics anxiety (MAX) to predict the grades of 112 female and 72 male undergraduates in an introductory algebra course. Ss completed the Global Anxiety Scale, a MAX rating scale, and a measure of achieving tendency. Results show that MAX had little to do with course grades after controlling for mathematical aptitude, as measured by the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In addition, MAX was more strongly related to general anxiety in males than in females. This finding suggests that females seeking treatment for MAX are likely to profit from treatment that focuses specifically on mathematics situations. The higher level of MAX among females could not be explained on the basis of differential course-taking, since males had a similar mathematics background. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of two models for predicting mathematics performance: Social learning versus math aptitude–anxiety.

Contrasted the ability of 2 theoretical models to explain the mathematics final examination performance of 97 female and 46 male undergraduates. The 1st model, comprising A. Bandura's (1977) social-learning theory variables, included situationally specific mathematics skills (previous course examination grades), incentives, self-efficacy expectations, and outcomes expectations. These data were collected immediately prior to the final examination. The 2nd model, the mathematics aptitude–anxiety model, included general mathematics ability, gender, sex-role orientation, and mathematics anxiety. These data were collected during the last class before the examination. The social-learning theory model accounted for significantly more performance variation than did the alternative model. Within the social-learning model, each of the variables (skills, incentives, efficacy expectations, and outcome expectations) accounted for significant and unique increments in performance variation. Only mathematics aptitude accounted for significant variation in the alternative model. Implications of the results for increasing mathematics performance are discussed. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of Norwegian adolescents' sunbathing and use of sunscreen.

A nationwide random sample of 15,169 Norwegian high school students completed a questionnaire about tanning habits, physical self-concept, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Although 90% of the adolescents did use sunscreen, less than 25% used an adequate sun-protection factor, and only 50% applied the sunscreen an adequate number of times when sunbathing. Multiple regression analyses identified these predictors of sunbathing: opportunity to sunbathe, tender skin, heavy smoking, playing down the risk for skin cancer, valuing physical appearance, friends' use of sunscreen (girls only), a positive attitude toward having a tan, favorable physical self-concept, friends' use of sunbeds, and friends' sunbathing. Sunscreen use was also predicted by opportunity to sunbathe and skin type. Furthermore, the effects of perceived risk for skin cancer and peers' use of sunscreen were particularly strong. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement and dimensionality of mathematics anxiety.

The measurement of mathematics anxiety has become increasingly important for identification of math-anxious individuals and evaluation of treatment programs for mathematics anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to examine the dimensionality of one such measure of mathematics anxiety, the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS). The responses to 94 MARS items were obtained for 350 female participants in a mathematics-anxiety program. The items were intercorrelated, and the correlation matrix was factored by a principal-axes technique, using squared multiple correlations as communality estimates, with rotation to a direct oblimin and varimax criterion. Two factors were identified and labeled as Mathematics Test Anxiety and Numerical Anxiety. Factor-derived scales were developed and correlated with 5 specific anxiety scales and an arithmetic test. The factor interpretations were supported by the expected discriminant and convergent relationship among these scales. The concept, measures, and treatment of mathematics anxiety are discussed. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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

Investigated the relation of mathematics anxiety to situationally assessed test anxiety, mathematics performance, physiological arousal, and mathematics avoidance behavior in 23 male and 40 female undergraduates. Ss completed the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, the Mathematics Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety Toward Mathematics Scale, and the Test Anxiety Inventory prior to completing 3 mathematics tasks. During the tasks, heart rate, skin conductance level, skin fluctuations, and avoidance behavior were monitored. Ss also completed the Post-Task Questionnaire, a situational measure of test anxiety, worry, and emotionality. Results indicate that mathematics anxiety measures were more highly rated to each other than to test anxiety. Mathematics anxiety accounted for 14–23% of the variance in 2 tasks, whereas, ability accounted for 30–42%. Rarely, did anxiety add to the variance accounted for by ability. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of maternal anxiety on the course and outcome of pregnancy: A review.

Reviews the evidence on the influence of maternal anxiety on the course and outcome of pregnancy. It is suggested that the impact of stress may be moderated by factors including trait anxiety, attitudes toward the pregnancy, appraisal of the stress, psychosocial support, and coping strategies. Heightened anxiety may have direct implications for uterine physiology and fetal health and development, as well as indirect effects through prompting behaviors that are contraindicated in pregnancy, such as smoking or alcohol consumption. The implications of this framework for prenatal care are considered in terms of reducing anxiety levels and promoting adherence to prenatal health care recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of differential rewarding and sex on math performance.

In an attempt to merge the reinforcement and competition approaches and test the relative efficacy of reward structures, 2 levels of differential group rewarding were paired with 3 levels of differential rewarding within groups to form 6 reward structure treatments. 144 college students worked on math problems under the reward structures for a series of performance–pay trials, receiving performance feedback after each trial. The math performance of females was consistent with the differential rewarding hypotheses, whereas that of males was consistent with an alternative spontaneous competition hypothesis. Suggestions for reducing the sex gap in math performance are made based on the findings. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of African American and European American adolescents' endorsement of race-conscious social policies.

To examine the predictors of adolescents' evaluations of affirmative action and school desegregation policies, African American and European American students (ns = 94 and 116, respectively; aged 14 to 17 years) attending a racially diverse high school in the Midwestern United States completed measures of (a) implicit racial attitudes, (b) knowledge about historical racism, and (c) perceptions of and attributions for racial disparities. The following day, adolescents learned about either a proposed affirmative action policy (n = 101) or a school desegregation policy (n = 109) and completed measures of their attitudes toward the policy. Results indicated racial differences in policy support and in the factors predicting policy support. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students.

Investigated factors related to the prevalence and intensity of math anxiety in college students. 652 Ss in 2 math courses and 1 psychology course at a large university were tested on the Math Anxiety scale (part of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales), the A-Trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Spielberger's Test Anxiety Inventory. Results indicate 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. Implications for the identification and treatment of math-anxious students and for the process of educational/vocational counseling are discussed. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ABCs of math: A genetic analysis of mathematics and its links with reading ability and general cognitive ability.

The goal of this first major report from the Western Reserve Reading Project Math component is to explore the etiology of the relationship among tester-administered measures of mathematics ability, reading ability, and general cognitive ability. Data are available on 314 pairs of monozygotic and same-sex dizygotic twins analyzed across 5 waves of assessment. Univariate analyses provide a range of estimates of genetic (h2 = .00–.63) and shared (c2 = .15–.52) environmental influences across math calculation, fluency, and problem solving measures. Multivariate analyses indicate genetic overlap between math problem solving with general cognitive ability and reading decoding, whereas math fluency shares significant genetic overlap with reading fluency and general cognitive ability. Further, math fluency has unique genetic influences. In general, math ability has shared environmental overlap with general cognitive ability and decoding. These results indicate that aspects of math that include problem solving have different genetic and environmental influences than math calculation. Moreover, math fluency, a timed measure of calculation, is the only measured math ability with unique genetic influences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cerebrovascular disease in young adults. A study of its course in 167 patients

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have been made of the prognosis of ictus in the young adult. The objective of this paper is to study the short term evolution of 167 patients, aged between 15 and 45 years, with cerebral vascular disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Since 1986 a protocolized study has been made of all patients aged between 15 and 45 who were admitted to the Neurology Department of the Hospital General Universitario in Valencia for a cerebral vascular incident. The results obtained up to 1993 have been recorded in a data base. In this paper the demographic data and information as to intrahospital evolution have been used with the Canadian, modified Rankin and Barthel Scales in the various ictus groups. RESULTS: 28.7% of the patients were AIT and 71.3% were diagnosed as established ictus, of whom 38.8% were haemorrhagic and 61.2% were ischaemic. 29.8% of the HIP, 33.3% of the embolic infarcts and 18.2% of the atherothrombotic infarcts were severely disabled on discharge from hospital. Mortality was 4.2% when AIT were excluded. DISCUSSION: Most studies are basically aetiopathological and much fewer include evaluation of prognosis. In our series, the patients had a satisfactory clinical course and low short-term mortality. As in the other series, the two groups with the worst prognosis were the HIP and the cardioembolic infarcts. Patients with HSA and HIV made outstandingly good progress.     

Effects of appearance-based admonitions against sun exposure on tanning intentions in young adults.

Compared the effectiveness of health-based vs appearance-based messages on university students' intentions to protect their skin against the sun's damaging rays. 134 Ss completed a measure of appearance motivation, then responded to 1 of 3 essays about tanning and skin cancer. One essay described the health risks of excessive sun exposure, one essay discussed the deleterious effects of tanning on physical appearance, and a control essay described the process by which tanning occurs. Overall, the essay that dealt with the negative effects of the sun on appearance was most effective in promoting intentions to practice safe-sun behaviors. However, the appearance-based essay was effective primarily among Ss who were low rather than high in appearance motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting mathematics performance in high school girls and boys.

Ninth-grade scores for 157 females and 148 males for 3 cognitive tests (Test of Academic Progress, Quick Word Test, and Space Relations Test of the Differential Aptitude Tests) and the 8 Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales were used to predict mathematics performance: grades in a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th yr of theoretical math (latter, females only, 30 Ss) and scores of senior girls on the Mental Arithmetic Problems test (85 Ss). Using multiple regression, 9th-grade scores significantly predicted mathematics performance 1–3 yrs later. Spatial visualization was an important variable, significantly predicting geometry grade for girls, but not for boys. Aside from math achievement, spatial visualization was the only other variable with a significant weight in predicting mathematical problem-solving scores for girls over a 3-yr period. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social cognitive expectations and racial identity attitudes in predicting the math choice intentions of Black college students.

This study extended social cognitive career theory (R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994) and racial identity theory (J. E. Helms, 1990) to the math-related interests and academic choice intentions of Black college students. Participants were 164 Black 1st-year undergraduates who completed measures of racial identity attitudes and math-related indexes of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, perceived sources of efficacy information, interests, and academic choice intentions. A social cognitive path model of students' math-related interests and choice intentions offered good overall fit to the data. Racial identity attitudes generally yielded small relations to the social cognitive variables and the outcome criteria. Self-efficacy and outcome expectations predicted interests, and interests predicted choice intentions, across racial identity attitude levels. Implications for practice and for further research on Black students' academic and career development patterns are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of information processing goal pursuit on postdecision affect and behavioral intentions.

Two important forces in human behavior are action and inaction. Although action and inaction are commonly associated with the presence and the absence of behavioral activity, they can also be represented as information processing goals. Action (inaction) goals influence decision effort and increase satisfaction with environments that are structured to allow for more (less) processing (Studies 1 and 2). This increased satisfaction can transfer to the decision (Study 3) and can increase the intent to perform a decision-congruent behavior (Studies 4 and 6). Finally, the author shows escalation of action and inaction goals when they are not achieved (Study 5) and rebound of the alternative goal when the focal goal is achieved (Study 6). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploration of young adolescents' social achievement goals and social adjustment in middle school.

Two studies investigated the proposition that social achievement goals (different orientations toward social competence) are an important aspect of young adolescents' social motivation. Study 1 (N=153 6th-grade students) established that different orientations toward developing or demonstrating social competence can be seen in young adolescents' responses to open-ended questions about their social goals and social competence. Study 2 (N=217 6th-grade students) evaluated a new survey measure of social achievement goals for young adolescents. Exploratory factor analyses indicated a 3-factor model (social development, demonstration-approach, and demonstration-avoid goals). Different social achievement goals were associated with distinct patterns of subsequent self- and teacher-reported social adjustment (prosocial, aggressive, and anxious solitary behaviors, as well as social worry, best-friend quality, and perceived popularity). Effects for social achievement goals were independent of perceived social competence and gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive processes in mathematics anxiety and test anxiety: The role of appraisals, internal dialogue, and attributions.

In this study, I explored the functional similarities and differences in the cognitive processes involved in mathematics anxiety and test anxiety. Ninety-six students in an undergraduate psychology statistics course completed test and math anxiety measures shortly after the commencement of their course. Before and after each of their five midterm examinations, students completed questionnaires that assessed their anxiety, appraisals, internal dialogue, and performance attributions. Results indicated that both math and test anxiety accounted for unique variance in preexam appraisals, negative internal dialogue, postexam appraisals, pre- and postexam anxiety levels, and several types of performance attributions. Only test anxiety, however, accounted for variance in subjects' actual examination performances. I address the implications of a cognitive theory for math anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of concreteness-abstractness and anxiety on intellectual and motor performance.

Administered O. J. Harvey's "This I Believe" Test to undergraduates. 55 Ss were selected with concrete belief systems and 29 with abstract systems. Ss then played the role of arguing against their own stand on an ego-involving issue which was scored for 5 attributes: number to topics discussed, number of approaches utilized in the arguments, openness to negative evaluation, ethnocentrism, and absolutism. Ss also completed the WAIS Digit-Symbol Substitution test, a vocabulary test, an arithmetic test, the A-State scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. On the basis of the anxiety measure, Ss were divided into "high" and "low" anxiety groups, and a 2-way analysis of variance (Concreteness-Abstractness * Anxiety) was run for each of the 8 dependent variables. Anxiety exercised a significant main effect on none of the 8 dependent variables, while concreteness-abstractness significantly affected 5. The interaction of these 2 variables, while in the anticipated direction in all instances, significantly affected performance only on the vocabulary measure. (29 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of anxiety on inferential reasoning task performance.

Three experiments were conducted in which high anxiety and low anxiety subjects were required to construct inferences. In Experiment 1 there was no anxiety-related performance deficit when inferring a necessary anaphoric relation, a process argued to be automatic. Experiments 2 and 3 involved the verification of unnecessary inferences, a process argued to involve the utilization of the working memory system. In both Experiments 2 and 3 there was an anxiety-related performance deficit. The results are consistent with a working memory-oriented account of anxiety-related performance effects, as deficits were restricted to capacity-demanding tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)