Date of Award:

8-2026

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Kerry E. Jordan

Committee

Kerry E. Jordan

Committee

Christopher Warren

Committee

Greg L. Callan

Committee

Ty Campbell

Committee

Shane Bench

Abstract

Math differences between men and women have been studied for several decades, with original theories suggesting a biological reason for the differences and more new ones suggesting multiple factors, such as self-efficacy, anxiety, and spatial ability, may be responsible for these apparent differences. Additionally, most research into math differences between the sexes involves the use of a composite score, rather than examining the different sub-domains of math separately. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between sex and math performance within the context of an individual's belief and attitudes towards math and spatial information. Seventy-one participants completed phase 1 of the study, which included self-report measures. Thirty-eight (21 women and 17 men) participants completed phase 2, which included the math assessment in algebra, arithmetic, and geometry, a mental rotation task, and a magnitude comparison task, and a demographics questionnaire. Results revealed that there was only a difference in math between men and women when self-efficacy in arithmetic was taken into consideration. Despite limitations, including high participant dropout rates (about 47 percent) and low statistical power, the current study provides a foundation to expand on how self-efficacy may be a main factor in sex differences in mathematics. Future directions should include developmental studies to explore these associations during critical learning periods.

Checksum

1ea96a95ba25ef8d095beae78c2c63d2

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .