Modern Psychological Studies
Periodical Title
Modern Psychological Studies
Volume
2
Number
2
Page Numbers
pages 56-63
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Date
1994
Abstract
Math anxiety interferes with many students' ability to learn math (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). Our research indicates that students' peak math anxiety years are those immediately following puberty. Research by Costanzo and Shaw (1966) suggests that children are most powerfully influenced by their peers during the months immediately following pubescence. In this light, we theorized that the amount of time students spend working math problems in front of peers (exposure to peer performance pressure) during the months proximal to puberty will be positively correlated with measures of math anxiety. Fourth through eighth grade public and private school students completed measures of math anxiety in October, 1992 and again in April, 1993. The hypothesis was supported for females only. Results suggest that peer performance pressure actually facilitated the development of math confidence except for females during puberty.
Subject
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Document Type
article
DCMI Type
Text
Extent
8 leaves
Language
English
Call Number
BF1 .M63 v. 2 no. 2 1994
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Recommended Citation
Boyung, Dawn M. and Hardy, R. Reed
(1994)
"Peers + performance pressure = math anxiety?,"
Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 2:
No.
2, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol2/iss2/11
Department
Dept. of Psychology