A Factor-Analytic Study of Mathematics Anxiety

Abstract

Responses from 491 university students largely from non-technical majors were obtained for 21 personality scales, five scales reflecting attitudes toward mathematics and six personal characteristics. Factor analysis of the personality and mathematics attitude variables revealed that scores on four of the five mathematics attitude scales (one of which was entitled Math Anxiety) were strongly related to a single, underlying attitude toward mathematics. This underlying variable was in turn substantially related to mathematics level attained in high school, general academic achievement (GPA) and current mathematics grade. This global mathematics attitude factor was essentially unrelated to sex or any of the personality variables. Sex was, however, weakly related to the fifth mathematics attitude variable, which reflected the degree of desirability which subjects assigned to personal success in mathematics. Females tended to be more negative in this regard.