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1°) -the samples
from Ontario and from Quebec
were similar.
These and the British sample
were characterised by a greater
homogeneity in the attitudes of the
students than in other samples. The
students in these three samples had
generally a more positive attitude towards
mathematics.
The particular defence mechanisms
involved here are introjection and
reparation.
2°) -the samples
from France and Belgium were
also alike.
They were characterised by a more
heterogeneous attitude than was found in
the previous samples.
They contained a greater number of
students displaying phobic attitudes
towards mathematics.
The particular defence mechanisms
invoked here is projection.
The French favoured most often
the notion that mathematics balances the
personality., but both the Belgian
and the French samples included
those who most strongly wanted to have
nothing to do with mathematics.
3°) -the sample
from the USA formed a sort of link
between the two proceeding
groups,
though it was often closer to the
French and Belgian samples
than the others. It was these students who
mostly found mathematics compulsive and
not leaving room for personality. On the
other hand, they were the ones who were
least inclined to invoke mechanisms of
avoidance - they did not feel mathematics
to be a barrier, a black hole, an
impossibility.
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