The MARS, a measure of mathematics anxiety: Psychometric data

Suinn, Richard M.; Edie, Cecil A.; Nicoletti, John; Spinelli, Philip R.

doi:10.1002/1097-4679(197207)28:3+<373::aid-jclp2270280320>3.0.co;2-c

Cited by 89 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Richardson and Suinn (1972) Nicoletti & Spinelli, 1972;Suinn, Taylor, & Edwards, 1988). For example, Kellogg et al (1999) assessed math performance on timed versus untimed tests among 30 undergraduate psychology students who were assigned to one of three anxiety groups-low, medium, or high-based on self-reported ratings.…”

Section: Math Anxietymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of math anxiety and perfectionism on timed versus untimed math testing in mathematically gifted sixth graders

Tsui

Mazzocco²

2006

Roeper Review

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This study was designed to examine the effects of math anxiety and perfectionism on math performance, under timed testing conditions, among mathematically gifted sixth graders. We found that participants had worse math performance during timed versus untimed testing, but this difference was statistically significant only when the timed condition preceded the untimed condition. We also found that children with higher levels of either math anxiety or perfectionism had a smaller performance discrepancy during timed versus untimed testing, relative to children with lower levels of math anxiety or perfectionism. There were no statistically significant gender differences in overall test performance, nor in levels of math anxiety or perfectionism; however, the difference between performance on timed and untimed math testing was statistically significant for girls, but not for boys. Implications for educators are discussed.Most school-based performance measures are administered with a time limit (Dreyden & Gallagher, 1989). Timed math performance is often worse than untimed math performance (Kellogg, Hopko, & Ashcraft, 1999), even among gifted students (Dreyden & Gallagher). This may be because of insufficient time to complete all test problems or because the timed testing is sufficiently anxiety-provoking to hinder performance. It is important to assess the possible effects of math anxiety on performance, because high math anxiety may lead students to avoid math (Hembree, 1990) by choosing not to enroll in advanced (Ashcraft, 2002) or elective math courses (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001). Math avoidance may ultimately affect whether a person decides against a math-related college major and subsequent career choices (Ashcraft).Although it may appear as common sense that mathematically gifted children experience little if any math anxiety when solving math problems, there is little empirical evidence to either support or refute this notion (Lupkowski & Schumacker, 1991). Dreger and Aiken (1957) suggest that math anxiety occurs even among students gifted in mathematics. Gifted children are often described as perfectionistic (Parker, 1997); but it is unknown whether perfectionism enhances or exacerbates math performance, and whether effects of perfectionism interact with level of math anxiety among mathematically competent individuals. The present study was designed to explore the possible relationship between math anxiety and perfectionism on math performance during timed versus untimed testing conditions in mathematically gifted children. Our interest was not the child's performance level, but whether there was a discrepancy in math performance accuracy during timed versus untimed testing, and whether this discrepancy is influenced by math anxiety or perfectionism. Math AnxietyMath anxiety is one of the nonintellectual factors that affects a child's performance on mathematics. Richardson and Suinn (1972) Nicoletti & Spinelli, 1972;Suinn, Taylor, & Edwards, 1988). For example, Kellogg et al. (1999) assessed math performan...

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Section: Math Anxietymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of math anxiety and perfectionism on timed versus untimed math testing in mathematically gifted sixth graders

Tsui

Mazzocco²

2006

Roeper Review

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“…It consists of three dimensions, namely, numerical anxiety, mathematics test anxiety and abstraction anxiety. The first two were extracted from the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (Rounds & Hendel, 1980;Suinn, Edie, Nicoleti & Spenelli, 1972).…”

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confidence: 99%

The relationship among mathematics achievement, affective variables and home background

Wong

1993

Math Ed Res J

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One thousand seven hundred and sixty six secondary school students in Hong Kong participated in the present study, in which the relationship among mathematics achievement, affective variables and home background was investigated. It was found that mathematics achievement was most closely related with self-concept, academic self-concept and attitudes towards mathematics. Self-and parental expectations were the most influential factors to these affective variables. It was also found that Hong Kong students spent, on the average, over 33% of homework time on mathematics homework. The time spend on homework, however, did not exhibit significant correlation with mathematics achievement.The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (1977) asserted that "learning to solve problems is the principal reason for studying mathematics" (p.2). However, the performance in problem solving is often influenced by affective variables. For instance, Keisler (1969) pointed out that the extent of incentives and motivation of the problem solver is an influential factor of individual differences in school problem solving performance. Davis (1973) suggested that attitudes may playa role in problem solving behaviour, and that confidence in one's ability to solve problems often enhances problem solving performance. Cronbach (1955) also noted that the lack of confidence would make an individual dismiss problems as insolvable before he or she made an adequate effort to solve them.A number of affective variables influencing the learning of mathematics were examined by Reyes (1984). These variables include selfconcept, mathematics anxiety, attribution, and perceived usefulness of mathematics.Wylie (1979) and West, Fish and Stevens (1980) argued a significant correlational relationship between general self-concept and achievement often exists. Over one thousand correlations between self and performance measures were reviewed in a meta-analysis (Hansford & Hattie, 1982) and, using various estimates of central tendency, a range in the mean relationship of .21 to .26 was established.

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“…The questionnaire was adapted from the MARS-E (Maths Anxiety Rating Scale-Elementary, Suinn, Taylor, & Edwards, 1988), a 26 point questionnaire that itself was adapted from the original MARS (Richardson & Suinn, 1972), a ninety-eight point questionnaire. Test-retest reliability for both the MARS and the MARS-E are high (Richardson & Suinn, 1972;Suinn, Edie, Nicoletti, & Spinelli, 1972). The nine questions were selected as they seemed to relate specifically to primary school children.…”

Section: Mathematics Anxietymentioning

confidence: 99%