(MAL)ADAPTIVE COGNITIONS AS PREDICTORS OF STATISTICS ANXIETY

Authors

  • SARA-EMILLIE McINTEE University of Ottawa https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8942-8158
  • JEAN-CHRISTOPHE GOULET-PELLETIER University of Ottawa
  • ALEXANDRE WILLIOT University of Quebec in Chicoutimi
  • EMMA DECK-LÉGER University of Ottawa
  • DANIEL LALANDE University of Quebec in Chicoutimi
  • MICHAEL CANTINOTTI University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières
  • DENIS COUSINEAU University of Ottawa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v21i1.364

Keywords:

Statistics education research, Statistics anxiety, Teaching of statistics, Emotion regulation strategies, Psychological needs, Attitudes

Abstract

A vast majority of social science students experience statistics anxiety in their statistics class, a course often perceived as the most difficult one of their academic paths. The present study examines the role of attitudes towards statistics, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and satisfaction of psychological needs in the prediction of statistics anxiety as well as the contribution of gender onto statistics anxiety. Two hundred forty-two undergraduate social sciences students in Canada completed the study. Positive attitude towards statistics, fewer maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and satisfaction of psychological needs were related to less statistics anxiety; adaptive emotion regulation strategies, however, were not. Furthermore, women experienced more statistics anxiety than men. Results provide insight about individual differences that may impact experiences of statistics anxiety and overall learning in the context of a statistics course.

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2022-02-28

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