Mathematics Anxiety and Cross Gender Identity in Young Adult Males and Females

Abstract

Abstract The present study investigates the relationship between Cross Gender Identity and Mathematics Anxiety. Masculine Gender Identity Scale (Freund and Blanchard, 1988) and Feminine Gender Identity Scale (Blanchard and Freund, 1983) were administered to 236 males and 189 females respectively. On the basis of scores obtained on these tests, high and low Cross Gender Identified males and females were selected. To these selected subjects Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (short version) by Suinn (2003) was administered. High masculine females exhibited low mathematics anxiety as compared to low masculine females. There was no significant difference between high and low feminine males on mathematics anxiety. The findings are explained in terms of advantages of Cross Gender Identification for mathematics performance and gender differences. iii