Abstract
Students struggling with mathematics anxiety (MA) tend to show lower levels of mathematics self-efficacy and interest as well as lower performance. The current study addresses: (1) how MA relates to different aspects of mathematics attitudes (self-efficacy and interest), ability (understanding numbers, problem-solving ability, and approximate number sense) and achievement (exam scores); (2) to what extent these observed relations are explained by overlapping genetic and environmental factors; and (3) the role of general anxiety in accounting for these associations. The sample comprised 3410 twin pairs aged 16–21 years, from the Twins Early Development Study. Negative associations of comparable strength emerged between MA and the two measures of mathematics attitudes, phenotypically (~ −0.45) and genetically (~ −0.70). Moderate negative phenotypic (~ −0.35) and strong genetic (~ −0.70) associations were observed between MA and measures of mathematics performance. The only exception was approximate number sense whose phenotypic (−0.10) and genetic (−0.31) relation with MA was weaker. Multivariate quantitative genetic analyses indicated that all mathematics-related measures combined accounted for ~75% of the genetic variance in MA and ~20% of its environmental variance. Genetic effects were largely shared across all measures of mathematics anxiety, attitudes, abilities and achievement, with the exception of approximate number sense. This genetic overlap was not accounted for by general anxiety. These results have important implications for future genetic research concerned with identifying the genetic underpinnings of individual variation in mathematics-related traits, as well as for developmental research into how children select and modify their mathematics-related experiences partly based on their genetic predispositions.
Highlights
Mathematics anxiety (MA) has been consistently linked to lower levels of engagement and motivation and poorer performance in mathematics[1,2]
Due to previously reported sex differences in MA48 and performance[49], we firstly tested for sex differences in all measures using univariate ANOVAs (Table S2)
General anxiety and MA shared ~20% of their genetic variance, general anxiety did not account for the association between MA and measures of mathematics attitudes and performance; it was mostly unrelated to variation in mathematics interest, self-efficacy and performance. These findings extend the line of evidence provided by Wang et al.[29] and suggest that the common etiology of the association between MA, self-efficacy, interest and cognition may be partly specific to the domain of mathematics
Summary
Mathematics anxiety (MA) has been consistently linked to lower levels of engagement and motivation and poorer performance in mathematics[1,2]. Due to the high incidence and hindering consequences for mathematics learning outcomes and experiences[4], it is important to understand the etiology of the association between MA and the attitudinal and performance components of learning mathematics. The current study investigates the extent to which overlapping genetic and environmental factors underlie the associations between MA, attitudes towards mathematics, cognition and achievement. This study can inform developmental research into how students select and modify their mathematics-related experiences, partly depending on their genetic predispositions. Identifying which aspects of Malanchini et al Translational Psychiatry (2020)10:12 performance and attitudes, if any, are more closely associated with anxiety, and the etiologies of these associations, will likely inform the focus of future interventions aimed at reducing MA and fostering mathematics learning
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