Feedback Timing: The Impact on Undergraduates’ Statistics Anxiety, Self-Efficacy and Perceptions

Statistics anxiety (SA), negative attitudes and low self-efficacy persist as barriers to engagement and performance in research methods and statistics. In digital learning environments, multiple-choice quizzes (MCQs) with automated feedback are commonly used, yet the optimal timing of feedback remains underexplored. This study examined how feedback timing (each question, blocks or score-only) affected SA, self-efficacy and feedback perceptions. A total of 332 undergraduate students completed the Abbreviated Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) pre- and post-test of the 25-item online statistics MCQ, followed by perception questions. A between-subjects multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed significant differences in feedback timing on post-quiz SA, feedback understanding and perceived benefit. No differences were reported for pre- to post-test SA or self-efficacy. A within-subjects MANCOVA indicated significant pre- to post-test SA reductions in test and class anxiety and help-seeking anxiety, but increased interpretation anxiety. Block feedback led to the highest performance, offering practical insights for reducing anxiety and improving digital tools.