The Role of Achievement Goals, Academic Motivation in Statistics Anxiety: Testing a Causal Model

Abstract

The present study aims at analyzing the effect of achievement goals on statistics anxiety through academic motivation approaches. In doing so, 345 undergraduate students (68 male and 277 female) from the faculties of psychology and educational sciences of Tehran city were selected using census sampling method. The participants answered the questionnaires prepared on achievement goals, academic motivation and, statistics anxiety. The Path Analysis method indicated that mastery goals have direct negative effects on statistics anxiety(p<0.01). Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance goals affect on statistics anxiety only through extrinsic motivation and amotivation. Mastery as well as Performance-Approach goals have direct positive effects on intrinsic motivation and the extrinsic one respectively (p<0.01). All the three variables of academic motivation directly influence statistics anxiety. All in all the findings indicate that achievement goals affect statistics anxiety more often through academic motivation.