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Fernández-Méndez LM, Contreras MJ, Mammarella IC, Feraco T, Meneghetti C. Mathematical achievement: the role of spatial and motor skills in 6-8 year-old children. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10095. [PMID: 33083139 PMCID: PMC7546220 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have tried to establish the factors that underlie mathematical ability across development. Among them, spatial and motor abilities might play a relevant role, but no studies jointly contemplate both types of abilities to account for mathematical performance. The present study was designed to observe the roles of spatial and motor skills in mathematical performance. A total of 305 children aged between 6 and 8 years took part in this study. A generalized linear regression model with mathematical performance as a dependent variable was performed. Results revealed that Block design (as a visuospatial reasoning measure) accounted for mathematical performance, especially among 6- and 7-year-olds but not in 8-year-olds. After controlling for the effect of the block design, mental rotation and manual dexterity predicted mathematical performance. These findings highlight the role of underlying cognitive (spatial) and motor abilities in supporting mathematical achievement in primary school children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Fernández-Méndez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Basic Psychology I, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Contreras
- Department of Basic Psychology I, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Tommaso Feraco
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Meneghetti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Hasty LM, Malanchini M, Shakeshaft N, Schofield K, Malanchini M, Wang Z. When anxiety becomes my propeller: Mental toughness moderates the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 91:368-390. [PMID: 32681595 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High academic anxiety is associated with poor academic performance. One proposed mechanism of this association is that academic anxiety promotes learning avoidance behaviours, which in turn hinders students' opportunities to learn and grow. However, this proposition has not been thoroughly examined, particularly in afterschool learning settings. The present study aimed to address this gap. AIMS First, we investigated whether individual differences in academic anxiety across three domains (mathematics, native language or L1, and second language learning or L2) predicted students' academic avoidance in the corresponding domain in high school. Second, given that individual differences in personality may result in employing different coping strategies to deal with academic anxiety, we examined how mental toughness (MT) moderated the relation between academic anxiety and academic avoidance. SAMPLE Two waves of longitudinal data that were one semester apart were available for four hundred and forty-four high school students. METHODS Students self-reported their MT, academic anxiety, and academic avoidance (i.e., time spent on studying a subject afterschool) in mathematics, L1, and L2. RESULTS For students with higher MT, higher mathematics, L1, and L2 anxiety in the first semester predicted more time spent on learning the corresponding subject in the following semester, even after controlling for general anxiety, academic achievement, and initial academic avoidance. CONCLUSIONS These results challenge the proposition that all students with higher domain-specific anxiety are more likely to avoid learning altogether in that domain. Rather, among students from the general school population who generally exhibit low to moderate levels of academic anxiety, higher academic anxiety is associated with more time investment in afterschool learning in mentally tough students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie M Hasty
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, UK
| | - Nicholas Shakeshaft
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, UK
| | - Kerry Schofield
- MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, UK
| | - Maddalena Malanchini
- U.O.C. Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Lecco, Italy
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Jiang R, Liu RD, Star J, Zhen R, Wang J, Hong W, Jiang S, Sun Y, Fu X. How mathematics anxiety affects students' inflexible perseverance in mathematics problem-solving: Examining the mediating role of cognitive reflection. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 91:237-260. [PMID: 32567682 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Too many students persevere in relying upon one (sometimes suboptimal) strategy for solving a wide range of problems, even when they know more efficient strategies. Although many studies have mentioned such phenomena, few studies have examined how emotional factors could affect this type of inflexible perseverance in strategy use. AIMS To examine whether mathematics anxiety could affect students' inflexible perseverance in strategy use and whether this effect could be mediated by cognitive reflection, which is the ability to engage in deliberate reasoning. SAMPLE AND METHOD In Study 1, 164 undergraduate students' (18-22 years) mathematics anxiety, cognitive reflection, and performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance were measured by a questionnaire battery. Structural equation models were used to examine the correlations between these variables. In Study 2, 98 undergraduate freshmen (17-18 years) were assigned to two groups, where one group's mathematics anxiety was temporarily induced by task instructions, while the other group served as a control group. Cognitive reflection and inflexible perseverance of the two groups were compared. RESULTS Study 1 showed that mathematics anxiety was negatively correlated with students' performance on overcoming inflexible perseverance, while cognitive reflection mediated such an effect. Study 2 showed that compared to the control group, the experimental group showed lower cognitive reflection, which led to lower performance in overcoming inflexible perseverance. CONCLUSIONS Mathematics anxiety was showed to impair students' ability to engage in deliberate reasoning and was associated with inflexible use of strategies. Alleviating students' mathematics anxiety should be considered when promoting students' strategic flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ru-de Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
| | - Jon Star
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rui Zhen
- Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Teachers' College, Beijing Union University, China
| | - Wei Hong
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
| | - Shuyang Jiang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
| | - Xinchen Fu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
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54
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Szczygieł M. When does math anxiety in parents and teachers predict math anxiety and math achievement in elementary school children? The role of gender and grade year. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-020-09570-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe study investigated the relationship between math anxiety in parents and teachers and math anxiety and math achievement in first- to third-grade children. The results indicate that math anxiety in fathers (but not mothers and teachers) is associated with math anxiety in first-grade children and third-grade girls. Math anxiety in mothers and teachers (but not fathers) explains the level of math achievement in third-grade children. The research results indicate the importance of adults in shaping pupils’ math anxiety and math achievement, but these relationships vary depending on gender and the grade year. The obtained outcomes generally suggest that adults’ math anxiety is not a social source of children’s math anxiety, but it can be considered a source of low math achievement among children in the final grade of early school education.
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Abín A, Núñez JC, Rodríguez C, Cueli M, García T, Rosário P. Predicting Mathematics Achievement in Secondary Education: The Role of Cognitive, Motivational, and Emotional Variables. Front Psychol 2020; 11:876. [PMID: 32528351 PMCID: PMC7264990 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Academic achievement in general, and in mathematics in particular, is positively associated not only with cognitive abilities, but also with emotional and motivational skills. The objective of this study was to analyze the prediction strength of cognitive, motivational, and emotional variables in mathematics achievement throughout high school, considering students’ gender and age. A large sample of 2,365 Spanish students from the 4 years of high school (12–16 years old) participated in the study. Students provided information about their intellectual skills, perceived competence in mathematics, perceived utility of mathematics, intrinsic interest in learning, mathematics anxiety, and their causal attributions (for failure and for success), and of their achievement in mathematics. Data showed differences according to gender and the school grade level. The motivational and affective variables did not seem to play an important role in this relationship as predicted in the current study. The results of this study are discussed in light of previous research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Abín
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - José Carlos Núñez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Politécnica y Artística de Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay
| | | | - Marisol Cueli
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Trinidad García
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Pedro Rosário
- Department of Applied Psychology, Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
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56
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Kiuru N, Spinath B, Clem AL, Eklund K, Ahonen T, Hirvonen R. The dynamics of motivation, emotion, and task performance in simulated achievement situations. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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57
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Navarrete JA, Sandoval-Díaz JS. Does cognitive reflection mediate the math gender gap at university admission in Chile? SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11218-020-09545-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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58
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Passolunghi MC, De Vita C, Pellizzoni S. Math anxiety and math achievement: The effects of emotional and math strategy training. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12964. [PMID: 32159906 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Math anxiety (MA) is a specific feeling of tension generated by the manipulation of numerical stimuli in daily life and academic situations (Richardson & Suinn, 1972). This condition has significant repercussions on the individual's life at personal, social, and economic level. Literature on the topic of MA alleviation, however, is still scarce. This study aims at contributing to this field by addressing MA prevention in school-age children. We have developed two different training methods administered to two groups of fourth graders: (a) MA training focusing on identifying and copying with MA-related feelings (N = 76); and (b) Math strategy training focusing on supplementary exercises to enhance calculation strategies (N = 76). We also carried out a Control training involving a range of activities, such as reading comic strips, describing characters in the story, and combining text and images to obtain an original narrative text (N = 72). We evaluated the differential effects of these training methods on MA, general anxiety, and math achievement before and after the training. Results indicate that MA training contributes to a decrease in MA level, although it does not appear to affect math achievement; Math strategy training, on the other hand, results in far transfer on a reduction of MA level as well as near transfer on the improvement of math achievement. Data are discussed in terms of specific mechanisms underlying each type of training method, and with specific focus on the evaluation of educational and developmental opportunities linked to MA prevention and improvement of math abilities in school-age children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara De Vita
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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59
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Rolison JJ, Morsanyi K, Peters E. Understanding Health Risk Comprehension: The Role of Math Anxiety, Subjective Numeracy, and Objective Numeracy. Med Decis Making 2020; 40:222-234. [PMID: 32052694 PMCID: PMC7502983 DOI: 10.1177/0272989x20904725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background. Numeracy skills are important for medical decision making as lower numeracy is associated with misinterpreting statistical health risks. Math anxiety, characterized by negative emotions about numerical tasks, and lower subjective numeracy (i.e., self-assessments of numerical competence) are also associated with poor risk comprehension. Objective. To explore independent and mediated associations of math anxiety, numerical ability, and subjective numeracy with risk comprehension and to ascertain whether their associations are specific to the health domain. Methods. Objective numeracy was measured with a 14-item test. Math anxiety and subjective numeracy were assessed with self-report scales. Risk comprehension was measured with a 12-item test. In experiment 1, risk comprehension items were limited to scenarios in the health domain. In experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to receive numerically equivalent risk comprehension items in either a health or nonhealth domain. Results. Linear regression analyses revealed that individuals with higher objective numeracy were more likely to respond correctly to the risk comprehension items, as were individuals with higher subjective numeracy. Higher math anxiety was associated with a lower likelihood of correct responding when controlling for objective numeracy but not when controlling for subjective numeracy. Mediation analyses indicated that math anxiety may undermine risk comprehension in 3 ways, including through 1) objective numeracy, 2) subjective numeracy, and 3) objective and subjective numeracy in serial, with subjective numeracy mediating the association between objective numeracy and risk comprehension. Findings did not differ by domain. Conclusions. Math anxiety, objective numeracy, and subjective numeracy are associated with risk comprehension through unique pathways. Education initiatives for improving health risk comprehension may be most effective if jointly aimed at tackling numerical ability as well as negative emotions and self-evaluations related to numeracy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kinga Morsanyi
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, GB, UK
| | - Ellen Peters
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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60
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Di Lonardo Burr SM, LeFevre JA. Confidence is key: Unlocking the relations between ADHD symptoms and math performance. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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61
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Geary DC, Hoard MK, Nugent L, Chu F, Scofield JE, Hibbard DF. Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Attitudes: Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations to Mathematical Competence. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 111:1447-1461. [PMID: 31768075 DOI: 10.1037/edu0000355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in the strength of the relations between mathematics anxiety, mathematics attitudes and mathematics achievement were assessed concurrently in sixth grade (n = 1,091, 545 boys) and longitudinally from sixth- to seventh-grade (n = 190, 97 boys). Mathematics anxiety was composed of two facets, one associated with evaluations and the other for learning more generally. Girls had higher mathematics anxiety for evaluations than did boys (ds = -.30 to -.52), but not for mathematics learning. In sixth grade, the negative correlation between mathematical competence and mathematics anxiety for evaluations was stronger in girls than in boys. Longitudinally, higher mathematical competence in sixth grade was associated with lower mathematics anxiety for evaluations and better mathematics attitudes in seventh grade for girls but not for boys. The key finding is that adolescent girls' mathematics anxiety and their attitudes toward mathematics are more reflective of their actual mathematical competence than they are for boys. One implication is that relative to boys with low mathematics achievement, girls with low achievement are at higher risk of developing mathematics anxiety and poor attitudes toward mathematics.
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62
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Choe KW, Jenifer JB, Rozek CS, Berman MG, Beilock SL. Calculated avoidance: Math anxiety predicts math avoidance in effort-based decision-making. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaay1062. [PMID: 31799398 PMCID: PMC6867883 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay1062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Math anxiety-negative feelings toward math-is hypothesized to be associated with the avoidance of math-related activities such as taking math courses and pursuing STEM careers. However, there is little experimental evidence for the math anxiety-avoidance link. Such evidence is important for formulating how to break this relationship. We hypothesize that math avoidance emerges when one perceives the costs of effortful math engagement to outweigh its benefits and that this perception depends on individual differences in math anxiety. To test this hypothesis, we developed an effort-based decision-making task in which participants chose between solving easy, low-reward problems and hard, high-reward problems in both math and nonmath contexts. Higher levels of math anxiety were associated with a tendency to select easier, low-reward problems over harder, high-reward math (but not word) problems. Addressing this robust math anxiety-avoidance link has the potential to increase interest and success in STEM fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Whan Choe
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Marc G. Berman
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sian L. Beilock
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- President, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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63
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Field AP, Evans D, Bloniewski T, Kovas Y. Predicting maths anxiety from mathematical achievement across the transition from primary to secondary education. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191459. [PMID: 31827871 PMCID: PMC6894589 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The primary- to secondary-education transition is a substantive life event for many children. The transition can be associated with changes in the developmental trajectories of both emotional health and academic achievement. The current study looked at whether the trajectory of mathematical attainment and emotional health (anxiety) across this transition predicted later maths anxiety. A secondary analysis of data from the Twin Early Development Study (TEDS) was performed. The statistical models were fit on the 753 participants (one from each twin pair) for which there were measures of mathematical performance across the primary- to secondary-education transition and maths anxiety at age 18. Two multi-level growth models were fit predicting mathematical attainment and anxiety over the primary- to secondary-education transition. The intercepts and slopes for each child were extracted from these models and used as predictors of subsequent maths anxiety at age 18. These effects were adjusted for biological sex, socio-economic status, verbal cognitive ability and general anxiety. Maths anxiety at age 18 was significantly predicted by both pre-transition levels of anxiety and mathematical attainment and their rate of change across the primary- to secondary-education transition. However, the effects were small, suggesting that theories of maths anxiety may have overplayed the role of prior mathematical attainment and general anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy P. Field
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Author for correspondence: Andy P. Field e-mail:
| | - Danielle Evans
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Tomasz Bloniewski
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
- International Centre for Research in Human Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Yulia Kovas
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
- International Centre for Research in Human Development, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
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64
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Zhang J, Zhao N, Kong QP. The Relationship Between Math Anxiety and Math Performance: A Meta-Analytic Investigation. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1613. [PMID: 31447719 PMCID: PMC6692457 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety (MA) has been suggested to decrease the math performance of students. However, it remains unclear what factors moderate this relationship. The aim of this research was to explore the link between MA and math performance. Studies that explored the math anxiety-performance link, conducted from 2000 to 2019 (84 samples, N = 8680), were identified and statistically integrated with a meta-analysis method. The results indicated a robust negative math anxiety-performance link. Furthermore, regarding the analysis of moderator variables, this negative link was stronger in the studies that involved Asian students, but this link was the weakest in the studies that involved European students. Moreover, this negative link was stronger in the studies within a senior high school group, whereas it was the weakest in the studies within an elementary group. Finally, this negative link was strongest among studies that used a custom test and studies that assessed problem-solving skills. Potential explanations and implications for research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Faculty of Education, College of Teacher Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Ping Kong
- Faculty of Education, College of Teacher Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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65
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Variables influencing algebra performance: Understanding rational numbers is essential. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2019.101758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Pappas MA, Polychroni F, Drigas AS. Assessment of Mathematics Difficulties for Second and Third Graders: Cognitive and Psychological Parameters. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:bs9070076. [PMID: 31336844 PMCID: PMC6681099 DOI: 10.3390/bs9070076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical achievement during the first years of primary school seems to be a reliable predictor of students’ later performance. In addition, cognitive, metacognitive, and psychological parameters are considered to be factors related to mathematical achievement. However, in the Greek educational system, there is a shortage of valid and reliable tools for the assessment of mathematics difficulties and as a consequence, identification of children with these difficulties does not take place before the last years of primary school. This study aims to investigate the relationship between working memory, sustained attention, executive functions, and math anxiety with mathematical achievement in 2nd and 3rd graders. The design of the study was based on the parameters of mathematics difficulties, as they arise from the literature review. Ninety-one Year 2 and Year 3 primary school students (mean age 8.06 years) from three public schools situated in Attica, Greece participated in the study. The students completed three different scales including educational, cognitive, and psychological tasks. Results showed that mathematical skills were significantly correlated with sustained attention, inductive reasoning, math anxiety, and working memory. Moreover, mental arithmetic ability, sustained attention, and working memory predicted mathematical achievement of second and third graders. The study’s outcomes verify that sustained attention, inductive reasoning, working memory, and math anxiety are correlated with young students’ mathematical performance. The implications of the results for the development of an assessment tool for early detection of mathematics difficulties will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marios A Pappas
- Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 84 Athens, Greece.
| | - Fotini Polychroni
- Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 84 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios S Drigas
- Net Media Lab-Mind & Brain R&D, I.I.T., N.C.S.R. 'Demokritos', 153 41 Agia Paraskevi, Greece
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A large-scale field experiment shows giving advice improves academic outcomes for the advisor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14808-14810. [PMID: 31285348 PMCID: PMC6660764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1908779116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Common sense suggests that people struggling to achieve their goals benefit from receiving motivational advice. What if the reverse is true? In a preregistered field experiment, we tested whether giving motivational advice raises academic achievement for the advisor. We randomly assigned n = 1,982 high school students to a treatment condition, in which they gave motivational advice (e.g., how to stop procrastinating) to younger students, or to a control condition. Advice givers earned higher report card grades in both math and a self-selected target class over an academic quarter. This psychologically wise advice-giving nudge, which has relevance for policy and practice, suggests a valuable approach to improving achievement: one that puts people in a position to give.
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Cerchiara JA, Kim KJ, Meir E, Wenderoth MP, Doherty JH. A new assessment to monitor student performance in introductory neurophysiology: Electrochemical Gradients Assessment Device. ADVANCES IN PHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION 2019; 43:211-220. [PMID: 31088158 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00209.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The basis for understanding neurophysiology is understanding ion movement across cell membranes. Students in introductory courses recognize ion concentration gradients as a driving force for ion movement but struggle to simultaneously account for electrical charge gradients. We developed a 17-multiple-choice item assessment of students' understanding of electrochemical gradients and resistance in neurophysiology, the Electrochemical Gradients Assessment Device (EGAD). We investigated the internal evidence validity of the assessment by analyzing item characteristic curves of score probability and student ability for each question, and a Wright map of student scores and ability. We used linear mixed-effect regression to test student performance and ability. Our assessment discriminated students with average ability (weighted likelihood estimate: -2 to 1.5 Θ); however, it was not as effective at discriminating students at the highest ability (weighted likelihood estimate: >2 Θ). We determined the assessment could capture changes in both assessment scores (model r2 = 0.51, P < 0.001, n = 444) and ability estimates (model r2 = 0.47, P < 0.001, n = 444) after a simulation-based laboratory and course instruction for 222 students. Differential item function analysis determined that each item on the assessment performed equitably for all students, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, or economic status. Overall, we found that men scored higher (r2 = 0.51, P = 0.014, n = 444) and had higher ability scores (P = 0.003) on the EGAD assessment. Caucasian students of both genders were positively correlated with score (r2 = 0.51, P < 0.001, n = 444) and ability (r2 = 0.47, P < 0.001, n = 444). Based on the evidence gathered through our analyses, the scores obtained from the EGAD can distinguish between levels of content knowledge on neurophysiology principles for students in introductory physiology courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Cerchiara
- Department of Biology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Eli Meir
- SimBiotic Software, Missoula, Montana
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Fan X, Hambleton RK, Zhang M. Profiles of Mathematics Anxiety Among 15-Year-Old Students: A Cross-Cultural Study Using Multi-Group Latent Profile Analysis. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1217. [PMID: 31191408 PMCID: PMC6546821 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Using PISA 2012 data, the present study explored profiles of mathematics anxiety (MA) among 15-year old students from Finland, Korea, and the United States to determine the similarities and differences of MA across the three national samples by applying a multi-group latent profile analysis (LPA). The major findings were that (a) three MA profiles were found in all three national samples, i.e., Low MA, Mid MA, and High MA profile, and (b) the percentages of students classified into each of the three MA profiles differed across the Finnish, Korean, and American samples, with United States having the highest prevalence of High MA, and Finland the lowest. Multi-group LPA also provided clear and useful latent profile separation. The High MA profile demonstrated significant poorer mathematics performance and lower mathematics interest, self-efficacy, and self-concept than the Mid and Low MA profiles. Same differences appeared between the Mid and Low MA profiles. The implications of the findings seem clear: (1) it is possible that there is some relative level of universality in MA among 15-year old students which is independent of cultural context; and (2) multi-group LPA could be a useful analytic tool for research on the study of classification and cultural differences of MA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xizhen Fan
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ronald K. Hambleton
- College of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Minqiang Zhang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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70
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Kuchibhotla KV, Hindmarsh Sten T, Papadoyannis ES, Elnozahy S, Fogelson KA, Kumar R, Boubenec Y, Holland PC, Ostojic S, Froemke RC. Dissociating task acquisition from expression during learning reveals latent knowledge. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2151. [PMID: 31089133 PMCID: PMC6517418 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Performance on cognitive tasks during learning is used to measure knowledge, yet it remains controversial since such testing is susceptible to contextual factors. To what extent does performance during learning depend on the testing context, rather than underlying knowledge? We trained mice, rats and ferrets on a range of tasks to examine how testing context impacts the acquisition of knowledge versus its expression. We interleaved reinforced trials with probe trials in which we omitted reinforcement. Across tasks, each animal species performed remarkably better in probe trials during learning and inter-animal variability was strikingly reduced. Reinforcement feedback is thus critical for learning-related behavioral improvements but, paradoxically masks the expression of underlying knowledge. We capture these results with a network model in which learning occurs during reinforced trials while context modulates only the read-out parameters. Probing learning by omitting reinforcement thus uncovers latent knowledge and identifies context- not “smartness”- as the major source of individual variability. Performance is generally used as a metric to assay whether an animal has learnt a particular perceptual task. Here the authors demonstrate that in the context of probe trials without the possibility of reward, animals perform the correct instrumental response suggesting a latent knowledge of the task much before it is manifest in their performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishore V Kuchibhotla
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Tom Hindmarsh Sten
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience and Physiology, Skirball Institute, Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Eleni S Papadoyannis
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience and Physiology, Skirball Institute, Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Sarah Elnozahy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Kelly A Fogelson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Rupesh Kumar
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, UMR8248, École Normale Supérieure-PSL Research University, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Yves Boubenec
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, UMR8248, École Normale Supérieure-PSL Research University, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Peter C Holland
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Srdjan Ostojic
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, INSERM U960, École Normale Supérieure-PSL Research University, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience and Physiology, Skirball Institute, Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Faculty Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MA, 20815, USA
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71
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Klein E, Bieck SM, Bloechle J, Huber S, Bahnmueller J, Willmes K, Moeller K. Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation. Behav Brain Funct 2019; 15:4. [PMID: 30885230 PMCID: PMC6421679 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0155-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Difficult cognitive tasks are often associated with negative feelings. This can be already the case for the mere anticipation of having to do a difficult task. For the case of difficult math tasks, it was recently suggested that such a negative emotional response may be exclusive to highly math-anxious individuals. However, it is also conceivable that negative emotional responses simply reflect that math is perceived as difficult. Here we investigated whether non-math-anxious individuals also experience negative emotional responses when anticipating to do difficult math tasks. METHODS We compared brain activation following the presentation of a numerical cue indicating either difficult or easy upcoming proportion magnitude comparison tasks. RESULTS Comparable to previous results for highly math-anxious individuals we observed a network associated with negative emotions to be activated in non-math-anxious individuals when facing cues indicating a difficult upcoming task. Importantly, however, math anxiety scores did not predict the neural response. Furthermore, we observed activation in areas associated with processes of cognitive control areas such as anterior cingulate cortex, which were suggested to play a key role in emotion regulation. CONCLUSION Activation in the emotion processing network was observed when anticipating an upcoming difficult (math) task. However, this activation was not predicted by individual' degree of math anxiety. Therefore, we suggest that negative emotional responses to difficult math tasks might be a rather common reaction not specific to math-anxious individuals. Whether or not this initial negative response impairs math performance, however, might depend on the ability to regulate those emotions effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Klein
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Silke M Bieck
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany. .,LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Johannes Bloechle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Huber
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Bahnmueller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Willmes
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Korbinian Moeller
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany.,LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, Germany
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72
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Batashvili M, Staples PA, Baker I, Sheffield D. Exploring the relationship between gamma-band activity and maths anxiety. Cogn Emot 2019; 33:1616-1626. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1590317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ian Baker
- Psychology Department, University of Derby, Derby, UK
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73
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Zhen R, Liu RD, Ding Y, Jiang R, Jiang S, Hong W. Gratitude and academic engagement among primary students: Examining a multiple mediating model. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-019-00202-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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74
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Lissitsa S, Chachashvili‐Bolotin S. Enrolment in Mathematics and Physics at The Advanced Level in Secondary School Among Two Generations of Highly Skilled Immigrants. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/imig.12550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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75
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Pizzie RG, Kraemer DJM. The Academic Anxiety Inventory: Evidence for Dissociable Patterns of Anxiety Related to Math and Other Sources of Academic Stress. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2684. [PMID: 30697178 PMCID: PMC6340929 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety about mathematics can have detrimental effects on performance and understanding, yet little research has investigated how math anxiety is related to other types of anxiety. Here we develop the Academic Anxiety Inventory (AAI), an efficient and valid self-report measure designed to test math anxiety, as well as differentiate anxiety associated with mathematics from other contributions of anxiety across various academic domains. In Study 1, we isolated items that independently measure each domain of anxiety, reducing the overlapping variance between math anxiety and other constructs, and determining which components can or cannot be differentiated. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate that the AAI is consistent and reliable for undergraduate and adolescent populations. In Study 3, anxiety-related performance deficits in a high school math class were associated with scores the AAI-Math subscale. In Study 4, the AAI-Math subscale was associated with perceptions of increased mathematical complexity, decreased estimations of accuracy, and increased negative emotion when participants viewed mathematical expressions. Across four studies, we demonstrate the AAI is a reliable and valid measure of math anxiety and other domains of academic anxiety, providing an efficient questionnaire to determine areas in which students may require extra support in order to reach their full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel G. Pizzie
- Department of Education, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - David J. M. Kraemer
- Department of Education, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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76
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Hart SA, Ganley CM. The Nature of Math Anxiety in Adults: Prevalence and Correlates. JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL COGNITION 2019; 5:122-139. [PMID: 33842689 PMCID: PMC8034611 DOI: 10.5964/jnc.v5i2.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
It is important to understand the nature of math anxiety in the general adult population, as the importance of math skills does not end when one leaves school. To this end, we present a well-powered, preregistered study of English-speaking U.S. adults describing the nature of math anxiety in this population. 1000 participants were recruited online. Math anxiety was approximately normally distributed, with the mean between "some" and "moderate". Math anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with probability knowledge and math fluency, and significantly positively correlated with general anxiety and test anxiety. Women reported higher math anxiety than did men. Participants who had completed graduate school or had a STEM career had significantly lower levels of math anxiety than did those with less education, or non-STEM careers. Thus, we see evidence for math anxiety in U.S. adults and that it correlates with factors also reported in previous studies using younger and student populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Hart
- Corresponding author: Sara A. Hart, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306, 850-645-9693,
| | - Colleen M. Ganley
- Department of Psychology & Learning Systems Institute, Florida State University
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77
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Rubinsten O, Marciano H, Eidlin Levy H, Daches Cohen L. A Framework for Studying the Heterogeneity of Risk Factors in Math Anxiety. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:291. [PMID: 30559654 PMCID: PMC6286963 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety is a prevalent disorder which affects many people worldwide. Here, we draw together ample evidence to suggest a dynamic developmental bio-psycho-social model. The model highlights the complex pathways towards the development of math anxiety, with a focus on dynamism. That is, math anxiety is viewed here as a dynamic interplay between environmental (parenting style, as well as social style including teachers' attitude, instruction strategies and wider social effects) and intrinsic factors (i.e., neuro-cognitive and genetic predispositions, including brain malfunctions, heritability, predisposition towards general anxiety) and basic numerical cognition and affective factors. The model predicts that the dynamic interplay between these factors can either prevent or promote math anxiety's effects on the development of heterogeneous symptoms. Considering the universal nature of math anxiety, a systematic description of the vulnerability factors that contribute to the development of math anxiety is vital. Such information may be of particular value in informing the design of preventive interventions as well as of specific intervention tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Rubinsten
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hadas Marciano
- Department of Psychology, Tel Hai College, Kiryat-Shmona, Israel
- Ergonomics and Human Factors Unit, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hili Eidlin Levy
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Lital Daches Cohen
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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78
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Xie F, Xin Z, Chen X, Zhang L. Gender Difference of Chinese High School Students’ Math Anxiety: The Effects of Self-Esteem, Test Anxiety and General Anxiety. SEX ROLES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-018-0982-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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79
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Elliott L, Bachman HJ. SES disparities in early math abilities: The contributions of parents’ math cognitions, practices to support math, and math talk. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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80
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Trezise K, Reeve RA. Patterns of anxiety in algebraic problem solving: A three-step latent variable analysis. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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81
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Ashkenazi S, Najjar D. Non-adaptive strategy selection in adults with high mathematical anxiety. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10744. [PMID: 30013166 PMCID: PMC6048056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27763-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Participants with mathematical anxiety (MA) tend to show particular difficulty in mathematical operations with high working memory (WM) demands compared to operations with lower WM demands. Accordingly, we examined strategy selection to test the cognitive mechanism underlying the observed weakness of high MA participants in mathematical operations with high WM demands. We compared two groups of college students with high or low MA, in the solution of simple non-carry addition problems (e.g., 54 + 63) and complex carryover addition problems (e.g., 59 + 63). The results indicated that high MA participants showed particular difficulty in the harder carry condition. Testing the strategy selection mechanism among high MA participants, we found in the carry condition 1) they used the common strategy less often compared to low MA participants and 2) employed unusual strategies more often compared to low MA participants. Therefore, high MA participants were less efficient in their strategy selection, which may be due to weaker spatial representations, numerical difficulties, or less experience solving complex problems. These primitive representations are not adaptive, and can negatively impact performance in math tasks with high WM demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarit Ashkenazi
- Learning Disabilities, the Seymour Fox School of Education, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel.
| | - Deema Najjar
- Learning Disabilities, the Seymour Fox School of Education, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
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82
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Sidney PG, Thalluri R, Buerke ML, Thompson CA. Who uses more strategies? Linking mathematics anxiety to adults’ strategy variability and performance on fraction magnitude tasks. THINKING & REASONING 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2018.1475303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pooja G. Sidney
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Rajaa Thalluri
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Morgan L. Buerke
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
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83
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Braham EJ, Libertus ME. When approximate number acuity predicts math performance: The moderating role of math anxiety. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195696. [PMID: 29718939 PMCID: PMC5931636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Separate lines of research suggest that people who are better at estimating numerical quantities using the approximate number system (ANS) have better math performance, and that people with high levels of math anxiety have worse math performance. Only a handful of studies have examined both ANS acuity and math anxiety in the same participants and those studies report contradictory results. To address these inconsistencies, in the current study 87 undergraduate students completed assessments of ANS acuity, math anxiety, and three different measures of math. We considered moderation models to examine the interplay of ANS acuity and math anxiety on different aspects of math performance. Math anxiety and ANS acuity were both unique significant predictors of the ability to automatically recall basic number facts. ANS acuity was also a unique significant predictor of the ability to solve applied math problems, and this relation was further qualified by a significant interaction with math anxiety: the positive association between ANS acuity and applied problem solving was only present in students with high math anxiety. Our findings suggest that ANS acuity and math anxiety are differentially related to various aspects of math and should be considered together when examining their respective influences on math ability. Our findings also raise the possibility that good ANS acuity serves as a protective factor for highly math-anxious students on certain types of math assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Braham
- Department of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Melissa E. Libertus
- Department of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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84
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85
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Immediate and delayed effects of integrating physical activity into preschool children’s learning of numeracy skills. J Exp Child Psychol 2018; 166:502-519. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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86
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Szardenings C, Kuhn JT, Ranger J, Holling H. A Diffusion Model Analysis of Magnitude Comparison in Children with and without Dyscalculia: Care of Response and Ability Are Related to Both Mathematical Achievement and Stimuli. Front Psychol 2018; 8:1615. [PMID: 29379450 PMCID: PMC5771375 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The respective roles of the approximate number system (ANS) and an access deficit (AD) in developmental dyscalculia (DD) are not well-known. Most studies rely on response times (RTs) or accuracy (error rates) separately. We analyzed the results of two samples of elementary school children in symbolic magnitude comparison (MC) and non-symbolic MC using a diffusion model. This approach uses the joint distribution of both RTs and accuracy in order to synthesize measures closer to ability and response caution or response conservatism. The latter can be understood in the context of the speed-accuracy tradeoff: It expresses how much a subject trades in speed for improved accuracy. We found significant effects of DD on both ability (negative) and response caution (positive) in MC tasks and a negative interaction of DD with symbolic task material on ability. These results support that DD subjects suffer from both an impaired ANS and an AD and in particular support that slower RTs of children with DD are indeed related to impaired processing of numerical information. An interaction effect of symbolic task material and DD (low mathematical ability) on response caution could not be refuted. However, in a sample more representative of the general population we found a negative association of mathematical ability and response caution in symbolic but not in non-symbolic task material. The observed differences in response behavior highlight the importance of accounting for response caution in the analysis of MC tasks. The results as a whole present a good example of the benefits of a diffusion model analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Szardenings
- Department of Psychology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jörg-Tobias Kuhn
- Department of Psychology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jochen Ranger
- Department of Psychology, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Heinz Holling
- Department of Psychology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
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87
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Abstract
Math skills are necessary for success in the childhood educational and future adult work environment. This article reviews the changing terminology for specific learning disabilities (SLD) in math and describes the emerging genetics and neuroimaging studies that relate to individuals with math disability (MD). It is important to maintain a developmental perspective on MD, as presentation changes with age, instruction, and the different models (educational and medical) of identification. Intervention requires a systematic approach to screening and remediation that has evolved with more evidence-based literature. Newer directions in behavioral, educational and novel interventions are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelkamal Soares
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Teresa Evans
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
| | - Dilip R Patel
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
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88
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Gunderson EA, Park D, Maloney EA, Beilock SL, Levine SC. Reciprocal relations among motivational frameworks, math anxiety, and math achievement in early elementary school. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2017.1421538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daeun Park
- Chungbuk National University, South Korea
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89
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O'Leary K, Fitzpatrick CL, Hallett D. Math Anxiety Is Related to Some, but Not All, Experiences with Math. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2067. [PMID: 29375410 PMCID: PMC5770635 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety has been defined as unpleasant feelings of tension and anxiety that hinder the ability to deal with numbers and math in a variety of situations. Although many studies have looked at situational and demographic factors associated with math anxiety, little research has looked at the self-reported experiences with math that are associated with math anxiety. The present study used a mixed-methods design and surveyed 131 undergraduate students about their experiences with math through elementary school, junior high, and high school, while also assessing math anxiety, general anxiety, and test anxiety. Some reported experiences (e.g., support in high school, giving students plenty of examples) were significantly related to the level of math anxiety, even after controlling for general and test anxiety, but many other factors originally thought to be related to math anxiety did not demonstrate a relation in this study. Overall, this study addresses a gap in the literature and provides some suggestive specifics of the kinds of past experiences that are related to math anxiety and those that are not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystle O'Leary
- Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | | | - Darcy Hallett
- Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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90
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Gonzalez-DeHass AR, Furner JM, Vásquez-Colina MD, Morris JD. Pre-service elementary teachers' achievement goals and their relationship to math anxiety. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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91
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Daches Cohen L, Rubinsten O. Mothers, Intrinsic Math Motivation, Arithmetic Skills, and Math Anxiety in Elementary School. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1939. [PMID: 29180973 PMCID: PMC5693896 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Math anxiety is influenced by environmental, cognitive, and personal factors. Yet, the concurrent relationships between these factors have not been examined. To this end, the current study investigated how the math anxiety of 30 sixth graders is affected by: (a) mother's math anxiety and maternal behaviors (environmental factors); (b) children's arithmetic skills (cognitive factors); and (c) intrinsic math motivation (personal factor). A rigorous assessment of children's math anxiety was made by using both explicit and implicit measures. The results indicated that accessible self-representations of math anxiety, as reflected by the explicit self-report questionnaire, were strongly affected by arithmetic skills. However, unconscious cognitive constructs of math anxiety, as reflected by the numerical dot-probe task, were strongly affected by environmental factors, such as maternal behaviors and mothers' attitudes toward math. Furthermore, the present study provided preliminary evidence of intergenerational transmission of math anxiety. The conclusions are that in order to better understand the etiology of math anxiety, multiple facets of parenting and children's skills should be taken into consideration. Implications for researchers, parents, and educators are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lital Daches Cohen
- The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Orly Rubinsten
- The Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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92
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Primi C, Donati MA, Chiesi F, Morsanyi K. Are there gender differences in cognitive reflection? Invariance and differences related to mathematics. THINKING & REASONING 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2017.1387606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Primi
- Neurofarba Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Anna Donati
- Neurofarba Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Chiesi
- Neurofarba Section of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Kinga Morsanyi
- School of Psychology, Queens University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
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93
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Caviola S, Carey E, Mammarella IC, Szucs D. Stress, Time Pressure, Strategy Selection and Math Anxiety in Mathematics: A Review of the Literature. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1488. [PMID: 28919870 PMCID: PMC5585192 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We review how stress induction, time pressure manipulations and math anxiety can interfere with or modulate selection of problem-solving strategies (henceforth “strategy selection”) in arithmetical tasks. Nineteen relevant articles were identified, which contain references to strategy selection and time limit (or time manipulations), with some also discussing emotional aspects in mathematical outcomes. Few of these take cognitive processes such as working memory or executive functions into consideration. We conclude that due to the sparsity of available literature our questions can only be partially answered and currently there is not much evidence of clear associations. We identify major gaps in knowledge and raise a series of open questions to guide further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Caviola
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of CambridgeCambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Carey
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of CambridgeCambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Denes Szucs
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of CambridgeCambridge, United Kingdom
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94
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Wangsiriwech T, Pisitsungkagarn K, Jarukasemthawee S. Math anxiety in Thai early adolescents: a cognitive-behavioral perspective. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2017; 31:/j/ijamh.ahead-of-print/ijamh-2017-0068/ijamh-2017-0068.xml. [PMID: 28850548 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2017-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
With its high prevalence and debilitating impact on students, math anxiety is well studied within the educational context. However, the problem has yet to be examined from the psychological perspective, which is necessary in order to produce a more comprehensive perspective and to pave the way for therapeutic intervention. The current study, therefore, was conducted to identify cognitive and behavioral factors relevant to the occurrence and maintenance of math anxiety. Data were collected from 300 grade 9 students (150 females and 150 males) from public and private schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants responded to the measures of math anxiety, negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance. Structural equation modeling was conducted. Model fit indices obtained consistently suggested the good fitness of the model to the data [e.g. χ2/df = 0.42, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.00]. Negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance had a significant direct effect on math anxiety. Additionally, the indirect effect of negative math appraisal was observed between negative math beliefs and math anxiety. In summary, the proposed model accounted for 84.5% of the variance in the anxiety. The findings are discussed with particular focus on implications for therapeutic intervention for math anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kullaya Pisitsungkagarn
- Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, 8th floor BMS Bldg., Rama 1 Rd., Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Phone: +66 2218-9909, Fax: +66 2218-9923
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95
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Hertwig R, Grüne-Yanoff T. Nudging and Boosting: Steering or Empowering Good Decisions. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017; 12:973-986. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691617702496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, policy makers worldwide have begun to acknowledge the potential value of insights from psychology and behavioral economics into how people make decisions. These insights can inform the design of nonregulatory and nonmonetary policy interventions—as well as more traditional fiscal and coercive measures. To date, much of the discussion of behaviorally informed approaches has emphasized “nudges,” that is, interventions designed to steer people in a particular direction while preserving their freedom of choice. Yet behavioral science also provides support for a distinct kind of nonfiscal and noncoercive intervention, namely, “boosts.” The objective of boosts is to foster people’s competence to make their own choices—that is, to exercise their own agency. Building on this distinction, we further elaborate on how boosts are conceptually distinct from nudges: The two kinds of interventions differ with respect to (a) their immediate intervention targets, (b) their roots in different research programs, (c) the causal pathways through which they affect behavior, (d) their assumptions about human cognitive architecture, (e) the reversibility of their effects, (f) their programmatic ambitions, and (g) their normative implications. We discuss each of these dimensions, provide an initial taxonomy of boosts, and address some possible misconceptions.
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96
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Schütte K, Zimmermann F, Köller O. The role of domain-specific ability self-concepts in the value students attach to school. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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97
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Relationships of mathematics performance, control and value beliefs with cognitive and affective math anxiety. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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98
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Caviola S, Primi C, Chiesi F, Mammarella IC. Psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) in Italian primary school children. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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99
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The genetic and environmental aetiology of spatial, mathematics and general anxiety. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42218. [PMID: 28220830 PMCID: PMC5318949 DOI: 10.1038/srep42218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in their level of general anxiety as well as in their level of anxiety towards specific activities, such as mathematics and spatial tasks. Both specific anxieties correlate moderately with general anxiety, but the aetiology of their association remains unexplored. Moreover, the factor structure of spatial anxiety is to date unknown. The present study investigated the factor structure of spatial anxiety, its aetiology, and the origins of its association with general and mathematics anxiety in a sample of 1,464 19-21-year-old twin pairs from the UK representative Twins Early Development Study. Participants reported their general, mathematics and spatial anxiety as part of an online battery of tests. We found that spatial anxiety is a multifactorial construct, including two components: navigation anxiety and rotation/visualization anxiety. All anxiety measures were moderately heritable (30% to 41%), and non-shared environmental factors explained the remaining variance. Multivariate genetic analysis showed that, although some genetic and environmental factors contributed to all anxiety measures, a substantial portion of genetic and non-shared environmental influences were specific to each anxiety construct. This suggests that anxiety is a multifactorial construct phenotypically and aetiologically, highlighting the importance of studying anxiety within specific contexts.
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100
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Foley AE, Herts JB, Borgonovi F, Guerriero S, Levine SC, Beilock SL. The Math Anxiety-Performance Link. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/0963721416672463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals is on the rise worldwide. To effectively meet this demand, many governments and private organizations have revamped STEM education and promoted training to enhance math and science skills among students and workers. Education and training programs typically focus on increasing individuals’ math and science knowledge. However, data from laboratory studies and large-scale international assessments suggest that fear or apprehension about math, math anxiety, should also be considered when trying to increase math achievement and, in turn, STEM career success. This article reviews findings that shed light on antecedents of math anxiety, the bidirectional math anxiety-performance relation, underlying mechanisms, and promising routes to mitigating the negative relation between math anxiety and math performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sonia Guerriero
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris, France
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