Abbreviated math anxiety scale (romanian version): construction, validity, fidelity
Abbreviated math anxiety scale (romanian version): construction, validity, fidelity

Summary/Abstract: Background: Maths anxiety has been defined as the condition in which individuals experience negative emotions when they have to solve tasks that involve numerical or mathematical abilities. Abbreviated Maths Anxiety Scale (AMAS) is an absolutely necessary tool in educational and therapeutic intervention, especially in children with specific learning disorder in mathematics. Unfortunately, so far, no maths anxiety scale has been translated and validated on the Romanian school population, although the original AMAS has already been translated into several languages. Objectives: Present study pursued the validation of AMAS for the Romanian school population. In addition, comparisons were made regarding the level of anxiety generated by mathematics between pupils with normal curriculum and those with adapted curriculum, respectively between boys and girls. Method: Romanian translation of AMAS, as well as Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assess (ASEBA), respectively Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-10) have been applied to a group of 240 pupils aged 8 to 15 years. Results: Exploratory factor analysis supports the adequacy of both a bifactorial and a three-factorial model. The model with two factors (maths learning anxiety and maths assessment anxiety) has been preferred, in accordance with the original model proposed by Hopko et al. The test-retest fidelity has been shown to be very good for the main scale as for the two subscales, too. Poor correlations with tests that measure anxiety in general, depression and school behavioral disorders denotes a good divergent validity. A higher level of maths anxiety measured with Romanian form of AMAS has been highlighted in the case of students with curriculum adapted compared to their normal curriculum peers. No significant differences were highlighted between boys and girls in terms of maths anxiety measured with AMAS.

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