Is liking math enough? The effects of math interest and confidence on the math anxiety–performance relation.

2 = 3,007) spanning kindergarten through third grade. We examined the interaction effects of math anxiety and math interest, as well as math anxiety and math confidence, on children's math performance. Additionally, we explored age-related differences in these interactions. Results suggest that positive math attitudes did not reduce the negative relation between math anxiety and performance. Rather, there was some weak evidence that there is a stronger negative relation between math anxiety and performance among children with higher levels of math interest. Similarly, there was a stronger negative relation between math anxiety and performance among children with higher levels of math confidence, a finding that was stable across multiple analyses. There were no age-related differences in these interactions. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between math attitudes, anxiety, and performance in elementary school, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to specifically address math anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

mathematics achievement · mathematics anxiety · student interest in mathematics · student self-confidence in mathematics · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness · Mathematics Education and Pedagogy