Some recent research relevant to Rick's question about math anxiety and
performance is the work on stereotype threat by Claude Steele and
colleagues. In one study, women did worse than men on a GRE-type
quantitative exam, but there was no gender difference on the same test when
participants were told it was a test of math abilities that males and
females don't differ on. Steele has found similar results with black versus
white students: when blacks expected to perform worse than whites, they did;
when they expected to perform as well, they did, on the same test! This is a
hot area in social psych right now.
Marty Bourgeois
University of Wyoming
> ----------
> From: Rick Froman[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 1999 6:50 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Self-concept vs. success in math
>
> I am sure we are all aware that anxiety about math affects many
> psychology students in classes like Statistics and Research Methods.
> Beyond this fear, I wonder if anyone is aware of research to suggest
> that people would take active measures to ensure failure (or passing
> with a low grade) in a class if their self-concept does not allow for
> success in that subject. Specifically, I am thinking of bright
> counseling-
> oriented students who don't do as well in statistics as they could, given
> their obvious understanding of the concepts, because they don't
> perceive themselves as good in math.
>
> There seems to be a widespread belief that a person is either good with
> numbers or people and you can't be good with both. I think I have seen
> cases where testing and other methods showed that a student had an
> aptitude for the material but a lower grade resulted from not turning in
> assignments or not taking time to do them right. If there is evidence for
>
> such a phenomenon, I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for how to
> overcome this belief, specifically in a Statistics or Methods class. I
> will
> be teaching Stats in Mayterm and the Fall and would be happy to
> receive any suggestions. How might we make it socially desirable to do
> well in Statistics? Thanks,
>
> Rick
>
>
> Dr. Rick Froman
> Psychology Department
> Box 3055
> John Brown University
> Siloam Springs, AR 72761
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://www.jbu.edu/sbs/psych
> Office: (501)524-7295
> Fax: (501)524-9548
>
> "The plural of anecdote is not data."
>
> - Roger Brinner, Economist, Data Resources International
>
