Predicting Math Anxiety and Course Performance in College Women and Men

Abstract

The ability of the construct mathematics anxiety to predict grades in an introductory algebra course was investigated in a sample of 112 college women and 72 college men. In addition, the relation between math anxiety and selected personality and attitude measures was compared between the male and female groups. The results showed that after controlling for mathematics aptitude, math anxiety had little to do with course grades. The results also indicated that math anxiety was more strongly related to general anxiety in men than it was in women. The implications for future research and treatment of math anxiety are discussed. © 1985 American Psychological Association.