More Than Just Anxiety: Math Attitudes as Key Driver of University Choice

• DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/u2ptg_v1
• Publication Date: 2025-04-11T12:52:45Z
• Authors: Maristella Lunardon; Christina Artemenko; Serena Rossi; Hans-Christoph Nuerk; Krzysztof Cipora
• Keywords: Mathematical anxiety

Mathematics anxiety influences not only math performance but also career choices, often leading individuals to avoid math-intensive fields in higher education. While much research has been devoted that relation, other factors, such as general and test anxiety, neuroticism, math-related attitudes (e.g., self-concept self-efficacy) have received less attention, although they are related (or potentially confounded with) anxiety. In this study, we used Latent Profile Analysis examine how different profiles of (math) influence students' choice study programs with varying levels content. Our sample consisted 837 German university students enrolled low, medium, or high intensity. We identified seven distinct characterized by combinations attitudes. These varied their distribution across the extent which presence mathematics influenced program choice. Notably, differences choices were associated more than Furthermore, gender profiles, women being overrepresented marked lower findings underscore importance considering alongside when examining academic choices.