1. Math Anxiety and Cortisol as a Biomarker
Allie Davis1; Colton Lechak1; David Bateman, Ph.D1; Emilie Beltzer, Ph. D2; Michael Lloyd, Ph.D3; Holly Morado, M.A.3
1Henderson State University – Department of Chemistry
2Henderson State University – Department of Psychology
3Henderson State University – Department of Mathematics
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to quantify math test anxiety in students enrolled in intermediate algebra courses and to formulate different coping, studying, and teaching methods in order to improve student performance and reduce stress levels in order to increase student persistence in STEM degree tracks. Many methods to alleviate student test anxiety have been proposed, but no studies exist that connect the proposed methods to their effectiveness as measured by biological assays. Such studies could serve as a monumental gauge of methods intended to assuage student math and test anxiety. From saliva collected from the students at chosen intervals, cortisol levels were measured and used as a stress biomarker through the implementation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our initial analyses are indicative that cortisol levels are heightened after the subjects attend the intermediate algebra class, which does agree with the hypothesis initially postulated. Further study will need to be conducted in order to confirm the results initially derived, but early outcomes are promising.
Methods
Students were anonymously surveyed and samples were collected once a week before and after each class. After collection and surveying, the surveys were separated and analyzed for indicators that the student was anxious or mentally unwell. The saliva samples were frozen in order to preserve them and were assayed using a Salimetrics Saliva Cortisol ELISA kit. The data produced was collated and compared to a cortisol ladder and low and high cortisol standards in order to better discern salivary cortisol levels.
Results and Discussion
As expected, cortisol values changed noticeably from the beginning and end of both the class and the exams. Generally, cortisol levels were heightened after exams but increases and decreases in cortisol levels were student-dependent in class. Most students exhibited lower levels of cortisol before and after class and those who exhibited high levels of stress often experienced a decrease in cortisol after class. Cortisol levels were less stratified before and after exams which would indicate that students were feeling similar levels of stress regardless of time studied or level of preparedness.
Other postulations could be made regarding the students’ mental processes but further analysis of the surveys must be done in order to better support them. The included cortisol ladder was used to calculate a function that could accurately predict cortisol levels from the values produced in the assays. It is evident that math test anxiety is prevalent and methods of remediation and coping would both increase class attendance and class performance which would likely increase student retention in STEM majors as well as on a university-wide basis.
Figure 1: Plot displaying cortisol concentration in saliva before (orange) and after (gray) an exam compared to a known ladder (blue).
Background
Generalized test anxiety and math anxiety are documented disorders that are especially prevalent amongst college students. College algebra has been proven to be the class most indicative of continued success in college, and by extension success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) career fields. The demand for STEM graduates is at an all-time high and is only continuing to increase, so it is necessary to both produce and retain STEM majors in their respective programs.
In the United States, only 44% of 2013 high school graduates were prepared for college-level mathematics courses, while only 36% of high school graduates were prepared for college-level science courses. Only 35% of eighth grade students scored proficient scores in mathematics and 32% of eighth grade students scored proficient scores in science. It is evident that poor preparation and developing anxiety towards STEM classes begins before a student reaches college or high school.
Despite an ever-increasing demand for employees with secondary STEM degrees, students are not graduating in increased numbers with degrees in these fields. By 2018, the US may be short 3 million skilled workers because of a lack of potential workers with college degrees. It is absolutely pertinent to investigate what causes students to shun STEM courses and degrees as STEM degrees are highly important, influential, and capable of greatly affecting the lives of American citizens.
Future Work
After preliminary testing and analysis in order to quantify and establish a baseline for saliva cortisol, we will move on to discussing methods to remediate math test anxiety. We hope to find several coping and studying methods that are capable of reducing saliva cortisol levels which would indicate lower levels of stress and anxiety in the students tested. Responses to surveys are being evaluated in order to relate mental stress and anxiety to the measured levels of cortisol.
Figure 2: Plot displaying cortisol concentration in saliva before (orange) and after (gray) class compared to a known ladder (blue).
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Henderson State University for funding this research and thank you to all collaborators from the Henderson State University Departments of Chemistry, Psychology, and Mathematics.