STATISTICS ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION**
Abstract
One concern about learning statistics is the anxiety and stress students report while testing. The present study examined state-trait anxiety, specific anxiety toward statistic classes, and motivation to learn of college students before and after taking an exam. Currently, participants are 22 undergraduate students from a medium-sized University in the Southeastern United States (M = 20.56 years; SD = 1.00). Participants’ trait and state anxiety, statistics anxiety, class-specific anxiety, and motivations were assessed within 24 hours before and after an exam taken mid-way through the term using an online Qualtrics survey. Results showed that students with higher intrinsic motivation had less anxiety toward the class [r(19) = -0.55, p = 0.007] and more identified regulation [p(19) = 0.64, p = 0.001] meaning increased attention to course requirements and assessments. The current sample showed no relationships for state-trait anxiety and class-specific anxiety. This may be due to reduced power given the small number of current participants. Data collection is ongoing and will be completed in early Spring 2020. Once completed, results will include pre-post ANOVAs for non-statistics control courses and statistics courses.
Acknowledgements
VSU Department of Psychology
Recommended Citation
Salas, Jessi and Talor, Charles R.
(2020)
"STATISTICS ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION**,"
Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 78, No. 1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol78/iss1/11