TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of sex on the relations among spatial ability, math anxiety and math performance
AU - Danan, Yehudit
AU - Ashkenazi, Sarit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Background: A large body of research has found stronger math anxiety in females and suggests that inferior spatial abilities (or attributes towards spatial abilities) in females compared to males are the origin of sex differences in math anxiety. Purpose: To fully explore the complex relationship among math anxiety, spatial abilities, math performance and sex differences, the current study examined spatial skills, working memory skills, math anxiety, and self-efficacy as predictors of math performance. Basic procedures: Participating in the study were 89 undergraduate Israeli students (44 males and 45 females). Main findings: The result showed sex differences in a few domains: math anxiety was higher in females compared to males, males outperformed females in number line performance and spatial skills. The relationships among spatial abilities, math performance, and math anxiety were stronger in males than in females. By contrast, the relationship between math self-efficacy and performance was stronger in females compared to males. Conclusions: This finding demonstrated fundamental differences between the sexes, even with similar performances in curriculum-based assessments.
AB - Background: A large body of research has found stronger math anxiety in females and suggests that inferior spatial abilities (or attributes towards spatial abilities) in females compared to males are the origin of sex differences in math anxiety. Purpose: To fully explore the complex relationship among math anxiety, spatial abilities, math performance and sex differences, the current study examined spatial skills, working memory skills, math anxiety, and self-efficacy as predictors of math performance. Basic procedures: Participating in the study were 89 undergraduate Israeli students (44 males and 45 females). Main findings: The result showed sex differences in a few domains: math anxiety was higher in females compared to males, males outperformed females in number line performance and spatial skills. The relationships among spatial abilities, math performance, and math anxiety were stronger in males than in females. By contrast, the relationship between math self-efficacy and performance was stronger in females compared to males. Conclusions: This finding demonstrated fundamental differences between the sexes, even with similar performances in curriculum-based assessments.
KW - Math anxiety
KW - Mental rotation
KW - Self-efficacy
KW - Sex differences
KW - Visuospatial working memory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143151210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100196
DO - 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100196
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C2 - 36470623
AN - SCOPUS:85143151210
SN - 2211-9493
VL - 29
SP - 100196
JO - Trends in Neuroscience and Education
JF - Trends in Neuroscience and Education
M1 - 100196
ER -