The influence of attitudes towards statistics on statistical proficiency among medical students: a chain mediating effect of statistics anxiety and statistics self-efficacy

The findings validate a chain mediation model, highlighting self-efficacy as the critical cognitive link connecting both emotional factors like anxiety and academic performance. This suggests a "confidence crisis" as a central feature in the learning process. Consequently, medical statistics teaching may benefit from moving beyond just managing anxiety to actively building students' confidence. Using practical, relevant tasks helps students feel more capable, which can enhance learning resilience and improve their performance. Finally, it should be noted that causal interpretations require confirmation through longitudinal or experimental designs.