Mathematics, misconceptions, and mental blocks : a thematic analysis of statistics anxiety in university psychology students

Statistics anxiety is a persistent barrier for psychology undergraduates, yet little qualitative work has explored how it is experienced in higher education. This study employed semi-structured interviews with twelve psychology students from Scottish universities to examine the lived experiences of statistics anxiety. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, four overarching themes were formulated: (1) Negative Prior Experiences with Mathematics, (2) Misconceptions of Course Content, (3) Fragility and Hypervigilance, and (4) Student-Tutor Interaction. The findings show how early difficulties with mathematics and misaligned expectations about psychology as a discipline undermine fragile confidence when encountering statistical concepts, often resulting in hypervigilance and self-doubt. Tutor communication, class size, and assumptions about baseline competence further shaped students’ experiences, intensifying anxiety. This research provides a nuanced investigation of how students conceptualise statistics in their psychology journey, and offers suggestions and recommendations for applied practice.