Psychological factors associated with statistics achievement of college students: differences by sex and academic program

This research examined whether there are significantly different groups of students according to their selfperceptions (self-efficacy, self-concept) and attitudes towards statistics and if the interactions between specific group membership (self perceptive-attitudinal profile in statistics), sex and academic programs influences statistics achievement and statistic anxiety. In a sample of undergraduate students (178 women, 154 men), clusters analysis revealed two distinguishable self perceptiveattitudinal profiles: profile-1 reports higher levels in the grouping variables than profile-2. Analysis of variance and covariance showed that student’s self perceptiveattitudinal profile has a significant effect on statistics achievement and statistical anxiety, and that this effect varies by gender and academic program. The results contrast with findings from other studies that examine the same constructs separately