title: Affective and Motivational Factors Mediate the Relation between Math Skills and Use of Math in Everyday Life.
abstract: This study focused on the use of math in everyday life (the propensity to recognize and solve quantitative issues in real life situations). Data from a Dutch nation-wide research on math among adults (N = 521) were used to investigate the question whether math anxiety and perceived math competence mediated the relationship between math skills and use of math in everyday life, taken gender differences into account. Results showed that women reported higher math anxiety, lower perceived math competence, and lower use of math in everyday life, compared to men. Women's skills were estimated at a lower level than men's. For both women and men, higher skills were associated with higher perceived math competence, which in turn was associated with more use of math in everyday life. Only for women, math anxiety also mediated the relation between math skills and use of math in everyday life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands; ABC Amsterdam Brain, and Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brenda R J
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eva A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: ABC Amsterdam Brain, and Cognition, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands; Yield, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Psychological Methods, University of AmsterdamAmsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Han L J
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: van der Maas
keywords: gender; math anxiety; math performance; numeracy; perceived math competence