Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T13:03:01.265Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Preparation of a shortened version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-Adolescents (MARS-A)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Judy Sherrington
Judy Sherrington*
Affiliation:
Department of School Education, NSW
Get access

Extract

The measure of mathematics anxiety most widely used in screening and as a before and after measure to evaluate the impact of interventions is the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) devised by Suinn, Edie, Nicoletti, and Spinelli (1972). Alexander and Cobb (1987), Hunsley (1987), Richardson and Suinn (1972), Trent and Fournet (1987), Hadfield and Maddux (1988), Ferguson (1986), and Dew, Galassi and Galassi (1984), have used it; Wigfield and Meece (1988) refer to it as the most frequently used measure of mathematics anxiety; and Englehard (1990) recommends its use by future researchers. It was given qualified approval in a review by Hannafin (1985), and though Knapp's review (1985) was rather negative, he does concede that it has little or no competition.

Suinn and Edwards (1982) produced a version of the scale for adolescents (MARS-A). As noted by Hannafin (1985), it is virtually indistinguishable from the original, the differences involving minor and infrequent word substitutions.

According to Suinn (1979, p.2):

The MARS-A can be used to screen individual students in order to plan their placements in special mathematics courses, provide counseling, or provide for intervention through programs such as desensitization for anxiety. Typically, a value above the 75% level would indicate the student is eligible for attention of this type, however a school may wish to develop its own norms or cut-off scores.

The MARS-A can also be used as a measure for evaluating programs. It could be administered prior to a new counseling program or curriculum change, and readministered later to determine the effects of the program. Finally, the MARS-A may be used as a part of direct research on mathematics anxiety. For example, it would be a useful measure in studies which examine the role of curriculum content, parental characteristics, extracurricular activities, etc., influencing mathematics anxiety.

Type
Field reports
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 3 , November 1993 , pp. 80 - 82
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, L., & Cobb, R. (1987). Identification of the dimensions and predictors of math anxiety among college students. Journal of Human Behavior and Learning, 4 (1), 25–32.Google Scholar
Dew, K.H., Galassi, J.P., & Galassi, M.D. (1984). Math anxiety: Relation with situational test anxiety, performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31 (4), 581–584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Englehard, G. (1990). Math anxiety, mother's education and the mathematics performance of adolescent boys and girls: Evidence from the United States and Thailand. The Journal of Psychology, 124 (3), 289–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferguson, R.D. (1986). Abstraction anxiety: A factor of mathematics anxiety. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 17 (2), 145–150.Google Scholar
Hadfield, O.D., & Maddux, C.D. (1988). Cognitive style and mathematics anxiety among high school students. Psychology in the Schools, 25 (1), 75–83.3.0.CO;2-F>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannafin, M.J. (1985). Review of Mathematics Rating Scale. In Mitchell, J.V. (Ed.), The Ninth Mental Measurements Yearbook. Lincoln, Nebraska: The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.Google Scholar
Hunsley, J. (1987). Cognitive processes in mathematics anxiety and test anxiety: The role of appraisals, internal dialogue, and attributions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79 (4), 388–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knapp, T.R. (1985). Review of Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. In Mitchell, J.V. (Ed.), The Ninth Mental Measurements Yearbook. Lincoln, Nebraska: The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.Google Scholar
Plake, B.S., & Parker, C.S. (1982). The development and validation of a revised version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 42, 551–557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, F.C., & Suin, R.M. (1972). The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale: Psychometric data. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19 (6), 551–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, F.C., & Woolfolk, R.L. (1980). Mathematics anxiety. In Saranson, I.G. (Ed.), Test anxiety: Theory, research, and applications. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Suinn, R.M. (1979). Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale-A (MARS-A) (Adolescent Form) information for users. Fort Collins, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Behavioral Science Institute.Google Scholar
Suinn, R.M. (1988). Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS-A). Fort Collins, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Behavioral Science Institute.Google Scholar
Suinn, R.M., Edie, C.A., Nicoletti, J., & Spinelli, P.R. (1972). The MARS, a measure of mathematics anxiety: Psychometric data. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 373–375.3.0.CO;2-C>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suinn, R.M., & Edwards, R. (1982). The measurement of mathematics anxiety: The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale for Adolescents - MARS-A. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38 (3), 576–580.3.0.CO;2-V>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trent, R.M., & Fournet, G.P. (1987). The effects of hypnotherapeutic restructuring, systematic desensitization, and expectancy control on mathematics anxiety, attitude, and performance in females and males. Educational and Psychological Research, 7 (2), 137–150.Google Scholar
Wigfield, A., & Meece, J.L. (1988). Math anxiety in elementary and secondary school students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80 (2), 210–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar