Math ability accounts for only ~12% of math anxiety–STEM associations, whereas math anxiety accounts for ~40% of math ability–STEM associations¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Proportion mediated by Math Ability was 12.6% for % STEM Courses (p = .040) and 11.5% for STEM Grades (p = .100). → Daker 2021 q3 i? Proportion mediated by Math Anxiety was 40.9% for % STEM Courses (p = .001) and 40.0% for STEM Grades (p = .010). → Daker 2021 (2)

Evidence¶

Daker 2021¶

Daker, R.J., Gattas, S.U., Sokolowski, H.M., Green, A.E., & Lyons, I.M. (2021). First-year students' math anxiety predicts STEM avoidance and underperformance throughout university, independently of math ability. npj Science of Learning 6:17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00095-7

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Bootstrapped mediation analysis (10,000 iterations, mediation package in R) with the same covariates as the primary regressions; the printed proportion mediated was "%C = .126" for % STEM Courses and %C = .115 for STEM Grades (p = .100, non-significant).

"only 12.6% of the association between Math Anxiety and % STEM Courses could be specifically attributed to Math Ability (%C = .126, CI 95 of %C: .005, .308, p = .040)"

Daker 2021 (2)¶

Daker, R.J., Gattas, S.U., Sokolowski, H.M., Green, A.E., & Lyons, I.M. (2021). First-year students' math anxiety predicts STEM avoidance and underperformance throughout university, independently of math ability. npj Science of Learning 6:17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-021-00095-7

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Reverse-direction mediation models on the same sample: Math Anxiety mediated 40.9% of the Math Ability–% STEM Courses association and 40.0% of the Math Ability–STEM Grades association (%C = .400, p = .010); both indirect effects were significant.

"40.9% of the association between Math Ability and % STEM Courses could be specifically attributed to Math Anxiety (%C = .409, CI 95 of %C: .172, .950; p = .001)"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Academic Anxiety — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Affect Regulation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• First-semester math anxiety uniquely predicts a reduction in the proportion of STEM courses students take over four years of university, controlling for math ability and other covariates — related
• First-semester math anxiety uniquely predicts lower STEM grades over four years of university, controlling for math ability, STEM course-taking, and other covariates — related
• Math ability fails to predict unique variance in either STEM participation or STEM achievement once math anxiety is controlled for — related