Non-cognitive factors influencing numeracy in higher education

The promotion of numeracy across the lifespan is a key objective for many national and international institutions, given its importance at both individual and societal levels. In my dissertation, I sought to deepen our understanding of the role that non-cognitive factors, particularly math anxiety and personality, play in numeracy in higher education, taking into account gender differences the varying math content of different fields of study. I conducted four empirical studies, assessing numeracy using a large-scale cognitive test developed by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of University and Research (ANVUR). In Study 1 I focused on gender differences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, where women are typically underrepresented. I investigated the contribution of math anxiety and neuroticism personality traits to numeracy. Using a sample of STEM undergraduate students balanced by gender (NF = NM = 70) and IQ, I found that women’s numeracy scores were more strongly influenced by math anxiety and neuroticism than men’s numeracy scores. Furthermore, for women the relationship between math anxiety and numeracy was mediated by neuroticism. These findings revealed gender-specific pathways through which non-cognitive factors influence numeracy in STEM programmes. In Study 2 I extended the investigation to students enrolled in humanities programmes (HUM) with a large sample (N = 410) that completed remotely standardized tests assessing numeracy, math anxiety, personality, intelligence, and basic numerical skills. Results showed that math anxiety was negatively associated with numeracy, independent of field of study and gender, while the effect of personality, specifically neuroticism, on numeracy interacted with field of study over and above intelligence and basic numerical skills. These findings highlight the critical role of emotional experiences, particularly for students less familiar with mathematics. In longitudinal Study 3, I followed a subset of students from the previous study (N = 118) and reassessed them two years later. The main finding was the influence of math anxiety at T1 on numeracy at T2, which was fully mediated by numeracy at T1 and, for STEM, also by math anxiety at T1. Notably, the inverse relationship, i.e., between numeracy at T1 and math anxiety at T2, was also significant, especially for STEM students. Neuroticism at T1 also predicted numeracy at T2, but the effect was small, and no significant indirect or moderating effects were observed. These findings suggest that the mechanisms linking math anxiety and numeracy, including possible bidirectional effects, vary by field of study. In Study 4, I investigated the physiological responses during numeracy testing, an often overlooked aspect. I examined the relationship between numeracy and three indicators of physiological arousal (salivary cortisol, skin conductance, and heart rate variability) in 130 university students, and how these associations varied with different levels of self-reported math anxiety and neuroticism. The results showed that the role of physiological arousal differed depending on the type of physiological measure, the field of study and the level of neuroticism. Distinct profiles of math anxiety, neuroticism and physiological response emerged, with different numeracy performance. These findings highlight the importance of including non-cognitive factors and students’ field of study for a comprehensive interpretation of physiological arousal in relation to numeracy. Overall, the findings of this thesis highlight the importance of considering emotional and dispositional factors in relation to numeracy in higher education. Educational contexts, and to a lesser extent gender, can shape the influence of math anxiety and personality on numeracy. This has theoretical and practical implications in terms of interventions to support numeracy in higher education and for better interpretation of numeracy test results.