AUTHOR=li Wang Xi , Liu Li Xue , Xia Mu 

TITLE=An exploration of whether the extent and orientation of the discrepancy in perceived and actual mathematical efficacy affects mathematical anxiety

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 1 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/articles/10.3389/frcha.2022.1041662

DOI=10.3389/frcha.2022.1041662

ISSN=2813-4540

ABSTRACT=A questionnaire survey was used to study the effect of the discrepancy between perceived and actual mathematical efficacy (discrepancy in mathematical efficacy) on mathematics anxiety, and the moderating effect of bias in mathematical efficacy estimation. The results confirmed that (1) mathematics anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with mathematics efficacy, and significantly positively correlated with greater discrepancy between perceived and actual mathematics efficacy. (2) Variation in mathematics efficacy was much greater given underestimation rather than overestimation of efficacy; further, mathematics anxiety was significantly greater given underestimation versus overestimation of efficacy. (3) Discrepancy in perceived versus actual mathematical efficacy positively predicted mathematics anxiety, and was moderated by bias in the estimation of mathematical ability. In the first-grade students, mathematics anxiety was predicted by underestimation but not overestimation of efficacy.