[German version of the math anxiety questionnaire (FRA) for 6- to 9-year-old children].
OBJECTIVE
Is the FRA a reliable and valid instrument? Are there any gender differences concerning math anxiety? Are there any developmental changes in this regard in the course of the early grades?


METHODS
Together with the dyscalculia test TEDI-MATH, the FRA was presented to a total of 450 children from the first to the third grade of primary school (at least 40 girls and 40 boys per semester).


RESULTS
The total scale has an internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) between 0.83 and 0.91. Correlations between arithmetic skills and the FRA scales were mostly significant. The significantly higher negative scores for girls were taken into account by providing standard scores corrected for gender. No systematic developmental changes could be observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The FRA is the first German math anxiety questionnaire for primary school children. High reliability, standard scores corrected for gender, and economic handling make it an instrument well suited for use in clinical settings (e.g., dyscalculia diagnostics and intervention).
Krinzinger
Helga
H
Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Neuropsychologie, Neurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum der RWTH Aachen, Deutschland. krinzinger@neuropsych.rwth-aachen.de
Kaufmann
Liane
L
Dowker
Ann
A
Thomas
Gemma
G
Graf
Martina
M
Nuerk
Hans-Christoph
HC
Willmes
Klaus
K
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001076:Aptitude; D001290:Attitude; D001317:Austria; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008433:Mathematics; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires