Abstraction Anxiety: A Factor of Mathematics Anxiety.
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Abstract
ion Anxiety: A Factor of Mathematics Anxiety RONALD D. FERGUSON, San Antonio College The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS), designed by Richardson and Suinn (Suinn, Edie, Nicoleti, & Spenelli, 1972), has become a popular instrument in the investigation of mathematics anxiety. Several studies have contributed evidence supporting the validity and reliability of MARS (Brush, 1978; Morris, Kellaway, & Smith, 1978; Suinn et al., 1972). In addition, Rounds and Hendel (1980) examined the dimensionality of mathematics anxiety by performing a factor analysis on the MARS. Two factors were retained and labeled Mathematics Test Anxiety and Numerical Anxiety. The same two factors were isolated by Brush (1978). Given these factors, some reduction in the MARS from the current 98 items to a shorter inventory should be possible. Indeed, Rounds and Hendel (1980) suggest a reduction to 30 items. The reduction, however, cannot be without bounds. If the inventory were reduced to a single item, such as "I do (or do not) have mathematics anxiety," it would probably be unreliable. Furthermore, it would not provide information about the factors contributing to mathematics anxiety. Hence, a multiple-item inventory that would provide a scale for the degree of mathematics anxiety as well as indicate contributing factors is more desirable. Several questions concerning the construct of mathematics anxiety warrant further investigation. Are the factors isolated by Rounds and Hendel (1980) the defining components of mathematics anxiety, or do other factors help explain the structure of the construct? Is there some intrinsic difference in the type of mathematical endeavor that produces mathematics anxiety? Many recent studies have used MARS as the instrument to measure mathematics anxiety (Boodt, 1980; Calvert, 1981; Clute, 1984; Delaney, 1980; Lauroff, 1980; Martin, 1980; Smith, 1980; Streim, 1980). If significant factors of mathematics anxiety are not measured by MARS, then some of the results of these studies may be subject to reinterpretation. The factors isolated by Rounds and Hendel (1980) were labeled to reflect the nature of the items that defined the factors. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there is a component of mathematics anxiety distinct from those isolated by Rounds and Hendel. The hypothesized factor was expected to be defined by items that reflected an exposure to more abstract mathematics than that in the MARS. This article is based on the author's doctoral dissertation, completed at Texas A. & M. University in 1982 under the direction of James H. Rollins. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:03:20 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 146 Abstraction Anxiety