Researchers have aimed to understand if statistics anxiety is a genuine form of anxiety that truly impairs a student’s success, or if students just shift previous math-related experiences to statistics. Essentially, do students (specifically those in social sciences) truly have statistics anxiety, or are they just assuming they’ll do poorly because there’s math present? 

Understanding the Legitimacy of Statistics Anxiety

Research has shown that a variety of variables influence performance in statistics and math. Generally, prior knowledge is a strong predictor for future achievement. This level of prior knowledge is measured through grades and assessment scores. 


Predicting Achievement in Math and Statistics 

A measurement of statistics anxiety used in studies. It inquires three subscales: Test and class anxiety (8 questions), interpretation anxiety (11 questions), and the fear of asking for help (4 questions). The self-report questions require participants to rate on a five-point scale how they feel in certain scenarios.

Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS)

Statistics Anxiety is the apprehension that someone experiences in academic or practical scenarios, related to statistics. It’s an enduring and habitual form of anxiety. 

Ohio State University, Columbus

Academic Anxiety is the feelings of concern, worry, and dread associated with academic settings and tasks. Assignments, tests, exams, subjects, and societal pressures (parents, peers, instructors, etc.) are all factors in academic anxiety. There will usually be noticeably high areas of concern in the following areas: physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and (occasionally) social. 

Academic Anxiety 

Statistics Anxiety 

Mathematics Anxiety is feelings of apprehension and increased physiological reactivity when someone is faced with math related tasks, such as manipulating numbers, solving math problems, or taking exams/tests in regard to math. 

Mathematics Anxiety 

Numerical Anxiety is the apprehension someone experiences performing basic mathematics operations, and manipulating numbers. Researchers have been aiming to separate this form of academic anxiety from statistical and mathematic anxiety, as it’s supposed to be more general. 

Numerical Anxiety 

An academic procrastination assessment used in anxiety studies. Math/Statistics anxiety is heavily correlated with procrastination. Participants answer to the degree to which they procrastinate on academic assignments (in their statistics course, for this study in particular). The scale for the consistency of procrastination is from “never procrastinate” (1) to “always procrastinate” (5). The degree to which procrastination on a task is a problem for them is rated from “not at all a problem” (1) to “always a problem” (5). 

The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS)

A measure of general proneness to experiencing anxiety, used in a statistics anxiety study. It consists of 20 questions, and participant indicate how they generally feel, then describe how frequently they experience anxiety-related feelings on a 4-point scale from “almost never” (1) to “almost always” (4). The total score is the mean of all the given answers.

The State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

Reference for Academic anxiety and its effects on academic performance

The study investigated the extent of academic anxiety and its
impact on academic performance. There was low academic performance due to the perceived course load and study material(s). There was also a positive relationship between social and family sources of anxiety, academic performance and stressors. Demographic variables, such as family history of anxiety, showed to have positive or negative effects on academic performance. 

All in all, it can be concluded that test anxiety,
academic competence, time management and strategic
studying are all factors significantly affect academic
performance. Effective university counselling services
and trained mental health professionals was suggested, which could also increase academic success. The top academic stressor were oral assessments such as the OSCE (objective structured clinical
examination). Suggestions for confidence, self-esteem and other self construal variables to reduce social anxiety and improve
performance during presentations were discussed.

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