The Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: A Valid and Reliable Instrument for Use with Children

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Mathematics anxiety (MA) is prevalent from childhood through adulthood.
• Existing MA rating scales are often unsuitable for younger age groups.
• Adaptation of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) for British children (8-13 years) is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability, factor structure, and divergent validity of the modified AMAS (mAMAS) in British children.
• To confirm the factor structure of the mAMAS and its distinctiveness from other anxiety constructs.

Main Methods:

• Administered the mAMAS to a large cohort of 1746 British children and adolescents.
• Utilized confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis for the mAMAS.
• Analyzed mAMAS items alongside child test anxiety and general anxiety scales.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the mAMAS's underlying factor structure, mirroring the original AMAS (Learning and Evaluation subscales).
• Factor analysis indicated that mAMAS items form a single factor representing mathematics anxiety.
• Results suggest MA is a distinct construct, separate from test and general anxiety in children.

Conclusions:

• The mAMAS is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring mathematics anxiety in children and adolescents from a younger age.
• The study provides evidence for mathematics anxiety as a unique construct, distinguishable from general and test anxiety in childhood.