Contextual antecedents and interacting variables in Math Anxiety

The relationship between Math Anxiety (MA), performance in solving math problems, and math self-efficacy was assessed in 42 college students classified as having high or low MA levels. Their perceptions in relation to sources of pressure as antecedents of MA were also assessed. Low and high MA students differed in self-efficacy (mean difference = -13.76, 95%CI[-20.4; -7.13]) and math performance (mean difference = -13.76, 95%CI[-20.4; -7.13]). Nonetheless, a mediation model did not find support for the hypothesis that self-efficacy mediates the effects of MA on math performance (β = -0.09). Thematic analysis of responses to open-ended questions about parental support, the sources of pressure on math achievement, and how this pressure affects the students failed to uncover differences between groups; nonetheless, participants in the high MA group reported more perceived distress in those responses. These results underline the complex relationship between contextual antecedents, interacting variables, and the ultimate outcome of Math Anxiety on performance in solving math problems.