The Effect of Background Music on the Mathematics Test Anxiety of ...

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14 the Missouri Mathematics Placement Test were completed by 381 freshmen enrolled in college science or math courses. It was found that mathematics anxiety and the worry subfactor <strong>of</strong> test anxiety did have an influence on test performance beyond mathematics ability. Math test anxiety. Researchers have varied opinions on the definition <strong>of</strong> math anxiety. Some researchers believe test anxiety is a factor <strong>of</strong> math anxiety while others believe they are separate constructs. Bohuslov (1980) supported the idea that math anxiety is induced more by testing than by math itself. A series <strong>of</strong> Fennema and Sherman attitude surveys were given to 150 elementary algebra students. <strong>The</strong> five surveys used were Attitude Toward Success in Mathematics, Attitude toward Teacher Scale, Mathematics as a Male Domain, Usefulness <strong>of</strong> Mathematics Scale, and Mathematics Anxiety Scale. <strong>The</strong> results <strong>of</strong> the Mathematics Anxiety Scale suggested that the students were not anxious about mathematics, but it was the testing that induced the anxiety. Test Anxiety This section <strong>of</strong> the literature review will focus on two areas associated with test giving, timing and environment. <strong>The</strong> research has shown that anxiety levels were affected by the time in the semester the tests were given and the environment in which the tests were given. This section will also look at a variety <strong>of</strong> test anxiety interventions. Timing. Osterhouse (1975) and Hunsley (1985) looked at test anxiety levels at different time periods during a semester. Students enrolled in two sections <strong>of</strong> an undergraduate psychology course served as the 412 participants in the Osterhouse (1975) study. <strong>The</strong> first section had approximately 300 students, while the second had about 100 students. During the first class session and immediately following the four course exams
15 all students completed the 16-item Inventory <strong>of</strong> Test Anxiety. Test anxiety was greatest following the first course exam and tended to decrease at subsequent exams for both the large and small sections. <strong>The</strong> participants in Hunsley’s 1985 study included 62 undergraduates enrolled in a statistics course. This course required multiple examinations. <strong>The</strong> student’s expectations, thoughts, and performance were assessed at each exam. <strong>The</strong> students were also asked to complete three Likert-form scales, the Debilitating Anxiety Scale <strong>of</strong> the Anxiety Achievement Test, State anxiety form <strong>of</strong> the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Subjective Units <strong>of</strong> Distress Scale. He found that poor test performance caused by test anxiety occurred early and late in the semester. However, according to the students’ comments, students with test anxiety experience most <strong>of</strong> their concern and doubt during the first part <strong>of</strong> the semester. Environment. Classroom size plays a role in test anxiety. Exam performance was better in smaller classrooms. Bushnell (1978) tested 125 high and low anxiety undergraduates in two environments: a large lecture hall and a small language laboratory. Mean exam scores for high anxiety students in the language laboratory were higher than mean exam scores for high anxiety students in the lecture hall. <strong>The</strong> same was found for low anxiety students. <strong>The</strong>re was also a difference in mean scores found between high and low anxiety students in the lecture hall, while there was no significant difference for high and low students in the language laboratory. In a follow-up study Bushnell (1978) tried using stress-reducing techniques for high stress exams, such as the midterm and final exams. He supplied free food and blue books for his students at the beginning <strong>of</strong> exams. While no t-tests were computed on the
Page 1 and 2: The Effect
Page 3 and 4: iii Acknowledgements I would like t
Page 5 and 6: v Table of Content
Page 7 and 8: vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Factors
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER 1 Rationale, Literature Rev
Page 11 and 12: 3 Spielberger (1985) described trai
Page 13 and 14: 5 Factor analyses. Researchers have
Page 15 and 16: 7 Anxiety Subscale of</stro
Page 18 and 19: 10 Table 1 (continued) Ferguson (19
Page 20 and 21: 12 to 66 students attending the Tex
Page 24 and 25: 16 differences between the mean exa
Page 26 and 27: 18 students to one of</stro
Page 28 and 29: 20 background music on reading comp
Page 30 and 31: 22 Anxiety level. Researchers have
Page 32 and 33: 24 The final study
Page 34 and 35: 26 Definitions math-test-anxious st
Page 36 and 37: 28 group, while sections 002 and 00
Page 38 and 39: 30 Research Question 1. Does the us
Page 40 and 41: 32 CHAPTER 3 Results This research
Page 42 and 43: 34 Table 2 Hypothesis 1B: 2 (Anxiet
Page 44 and 45: 36 Hypothesis 2A The</stron
Page 46 and 47: 38 Table 3 Hypothesis 2B: Pre-Exam
Page 48 and 49: 40 group between lower anxiety and
Page 50 and 51: 42 Figure 2 Hypothesis 2B: Interact
Page 52 and 53: 44 CHAPTER 4 Discussion The
Page 54 and 55: 46 low anxiety students or the high
Page 56 and 57: 48 References Alexander, L., & Cobb
Page 58 and 59: 50 D'Ailly, H., & Bergering, A. (19
Page 60 and 61: 52 Mowsesian, R., & Heyer, M. (1973
Page 62 and 63: 54 Wolf, R., & Weiner, F. (1972). <
Page 64 and 65: 56 APPENDIX A Last 4 digits <strong

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