I cannot read my statistics textbook: The relationship between reading ability and statistics anxiety

Although several antecedents of statistics anxiety have been identified, many of these factors are relatively immutable (e.g., gender) and, at best, identify students who are at risk for debilitative levels of statistics anxiety, thereby having only minimal implications for intervention. Furthermore, the few interventions that have been designed to reduce students' levels of anxiety have tended to be teacher-centered rather than student-centered. The area of reading ability appears to offer a viable avenue for research on the antecedents of statistics anxiety. Because statistics textbooks often present complex material, students with low-reading ability likely are prone to experience high anxiety levels. However, to date, this link has not been formally investigated. Thus, this study examined whether reading ability predicts statistics anxiety levels among 92 Aftican American graduate students enrolled in a historically Black college and university (HBCU). Findings revealed a strong multivariate relationship between reading ability and statistic anxiety. Implications are discussed.