Mathematics-gender stereotype endorsement influences mathematics anxiety, self-concept, and performance differently in men and women

Mathematics anxiety (MA) is negatively associated with mathematics performance. Although some aspects, such as mathematics self-concept (M-self-concept), seem to modulate this association, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In addition, the false gender stereotype that women are worse than men in mathematics can have a detrimental effect on women. The role that the endorsement of this stereotype (MGS-endorsement) can play may differ between men and women. In this study, we investigated how MA and M-self-concept relate to arithmetic performance when considering one’s MGS-endorsement and gender in a large sample (N = 923) of university students. Using a structural equation modelling approach, we found that MA and M-self-concept mediated the effect of MGS-endorsement in both men and women. For women, MGS-endorsement increased their MA level, while in men, it had the opposite effect (albeit weak). Specifically, in men, MGS-endorsement influenced the level of the numerical components of MA, but, unlike women, it also positively influenced their M-self-concept. Moreover, men and women perceived the questions included in the considered instruments differently, implying that the scores obtained in these questionnaires may not be directly comparable between genders, which has even broader theoretical and methodological implications for MA research.