Abstract
Emotional perceptions of math-related information can have profound effects on attitudes about math, which, in turn, may lead to decreased math achievements. A large body of research has documented that females have less positive attitudes and more negative affectivity to math than males. This study examined emotional valence ratings of math-related verbal stimuli among adults and performed a pioneering investigation of gender differences in emotional perceptions. A random sample of 290 adults completed a battery of online affect questionnaires designated to measure the relations of various math-related words to the field of mathematics (i.e., math loading) and compared the emotional valence of these words to words known to have negative and neutral valence. Results revealed that: (1) math-related words were rated as less threatening than words with negative valence, but more threatening than neutral words; (2) math loading ratings were the strongest and most significant predictor of the emotional valence ratings of math-related words; and (3) females rated math-related words and words with negative, but not neutral, valence as more threatening than males. The study concludes that negative affective valence is linked with math-related information, especially among females, and this finding has implications for researchers, parents, and educators.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 103313 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | Acta Psychologica |
Volume | 217 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Emotional ratings
- Gender differences
- Mathematics
- Negative valence
- Humans
- Sex Factors
- Adult
- Female
- Male
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Emotions
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)