Quebec study finds girls suffer more from performance anxiety than boys

Performance anxiety has a greater impact on girls than on boys, particularly on their motivation and results in mathematics, a study conducted by researchers from various Quebec universities found.

Published in the journal 'Contemporary Educational Psychology,' the study surveyed 478 pupils in the Joliette area, in Lanaudière, and Saint-Hyacinthe, in Montérégie, and looked at their anxiety during their transition from Grade 6 to the first year of secondary school.

The students were questioned at three points: in spring 2018, at the end of their sixth year of primary school, at the beginning of their first year of secondary school, and at the end of their first year of secondary school. The study achieved an 82 per cent participation rate at all three stages.

"Girls show more performance anxiety than boys, which is not surprising. We know that girls tend to have more anxiety, more anxiety disorders," said Isabelle Plante, a professor in the didactics department at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), who took part in the study. "What was a little more surprising was that, for the same rate, girls seemed to suffer more. This influences, or is linked to, their motivation and subsequent success."

The fact that girls' performance anxiety is exacerbated in the field of mathematics did not surprise Plante, however.

"We know that anxiety, stress, is going to affect mathematical tasks more, and we think that it's (because of) the type of content that is assessed, very often (which) recruits a lot of working memory. This is a cognitive function that is particularly affected by stress and anxiety," the professor said.

Language assessments, as in French lessons, have less of an effect on stress because they often require knowledge that is "encoded in the longer term."

For example, during a written task, a pupil who can't remember how to spell a word can choose another.

"Even when girls are anxious, this has little or no impact on their motivation and success in languages," said Plante.

GIRLS ARE GOOD AT FRENCH, BOYS AT MATH?

Plante has already assessed and measured the impact of stereotypes in mathematics, according to which boys are better at math and girls excel in French.

"In general, what we're seeing is that mathematical stereotypes are no longer really present. It's as if a lot of effort has been made to say that boys and girls are capable," she said. "On the other hand, they will adhere very strongly to language stereotypes, saying that girls have better language skills."

Social factors could also play a part in the propensity of girls to be more affected by performance anxiety, including social rumination or co-rumination.

"Girls tend to express a lot of anxiety together and end up encouraging each other negatively. It's good to talk about it, you might think it will reduce their anxiety, but in the end, it amplifies the problem because it gives it a lot of value," said Plante. "Even if the girls co-ruminate and there are boys in the group, that won't affect the boys' anxiety either."

What can be done to reduce performance anxiety, or to help someone close to you who suffers from it?

In addition to study and stress management strategies, Plante suggests changing the way we look at anxiety.

"Anxiety and stress also have the function of propelling us forward, they are levers, they are signs that our body gives us to facilitate the accomplishment of certain tasks," she pointed out. "But we tend to present anxiety as something that is necessarily excessively negative."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 8, 2023.