Communication Students' Mathematics Anxiety: Implications for Research Methods Instruction

This study examined indicators of math and speaking competence in three student major categories (N = 263). Communication (n = 178), business (n = 58), and liberal arts (n = 27) majors completed scales measuring math anxiety (Betz, 1978 Betz , N. E. ( 1978 ). Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students . Journal of Counseling Psychology , 25 , 441 – 448 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), math performance (Dowling, 1978 Dowling , D. (1978). The development of a mathematics confidence scale and its application in the study of confidence in women college students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio State. [Google Scholar]), math self-efficacy, and public speaking apprehension (McCroskey, 1982 McCroskey , J. C. ( 1982 ). An introduction to rhetorical communication , Englewood Cliffs , NJ : Prentice-Hall . [Google Scholar]). These variables explained 27.5% of the variance in reported major. Business majors had higher math performance and math self-efficacy scores and lower math anxiety scores than persons majoring in communication or liberal arts, whereas communication majors reported lower public speaking apprehension scores than business or liberal arts majors. Sex differences were found on all mathematics variables, with females scoring higher in math anxiety and lower in math self-efficacy and performance than males. Findings are examined for their implications concerning research methods instruction.