Math anxiety has largely been associated with girls and women and seems to result in their avoidance of mathematics. Therapeutic treatments to reduce math anxiety often include desensitization to math in addition to cognitive therapy. In this study, differences in math anxiety in relation to sex, level of math exposure, math ability, and career goal were examined in 135 college students. Significance was observed in the relationship between level of math exposure and math anxiety (p = .009). However, the direction of this relationship was surprising; greater exposure to math was associated with greater math anxiety. Limitations of the study are discussed with suggestions for future research.

©2010  Psi Chi - The International Honor Society in Psychology, All Rights Reserved