Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA)

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Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

SEMA is a 20-item, face-supported self-report questionnaire developed by Wu et al. to assess mathematics anxiety among second- and third-grade children.

Components

• Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA), a 20-item math anxiety measure for second and third graders: The SEMA is a 20-item questionnaire the authors developed to assess math anxiety in second and third graders, modeled on the MARS and MARS-E. Its first 10 items assess anxiety about grade-appropriate math problems (number sense, basic functions, measurement, geometry, mathematical reasoning) and the last 10 assess anxiety in social and testing situations. Children rate each item on a five-point scale using graded anxious and non-anxious faces, administered one-on-one with items read aloud. The authors are making SEMA freely available to researchers. (Wu SS et al. (2012))

Claims

• Math anxiety is significantly negatively correlated with math achievement in second and third graders, independent of trait anxiety and IQ [+M]

Related Products and Programmes

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Key Sources

• Wu SS, Barth M, Amin H, Malcarne V and Menon V (2012) Math anxiety in second and third graders and its relation to mathematics achievement. Front. Psychology 3:162. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00162

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	product
id	scale-for-early-mathematics-anxiety-sema
title	Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (SEMA)
description	SEMA is a 20-item, face-supported self-report questionnaire developed by Wu et al.
status	review
product_kind	assessment
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-17
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content

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