The role of mathematical anxiety and working memory on the performance of different types of arithmetic tasks

The interplay between math performances, spatial abilities, and affective factors: The role of task

Many studies have suggested that cognitive and affective abilities (such as math anxiety- MA and math self-efficacy) explain individual differences in math.

PURPOSE

The present study explores the interplay between MA, math self-efficacy, spatial anxiety and spatial abilities in explaining individual differences on two complex math tasks.

PROCEDURES

Ninety-three college students took part in the experiment and completed 3 emotional questionnaires, in addition to 2 math tasks and a mental rotation task.

FINDINGS

The interplay between math performances and cognitive and affective factors is related to task demand. MA and spatial abilities affected math performances directly, regardless of task. Spatial anxiety had only an indirect effect on math performances via MA, regardless of task.

CONCLUSIONS

These finding suggest that for math performances, contrary to MA, real spatial abilities rather than perceived spatial anxiety play a significant role in explaining individual differences.  Hence, the present result dissociates cognitive and emotional factors.

The relationship between math anxiety and math performance: The moderating role of visuospatial working memory

According to the processing efficiency theory (PET), math anxiety would interfere with working memory resources, negatively affecting mathematical abilities. To date, few studies have explored how the interaction between math anxiety and working memory would affect different types of math tasks, especially in primary school children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore whether the interplay between math anxiety and working memory would influence performance in numerical operations (i.e., math fluency task) and mathematical reasoning (i.e., math reasoning task) in a group of primary school children (N = 202). Results showed that visuospatial working memory appeared to moderate the relationship between math anxiety and math performance when the math fluency task was considered, indicating that participants with higher levels of working memory were more negatively affected by math anxiety. No interaction effect was found for the math reasoning task in which students' scores were explained only by visuospatial working memory. The findings suggest that math anxiety and visuospatial working memory interact to influence performance in the math fluency task and that this effect may vary depending on the strategies used to complete the task. On the other hand, results on the math reasoning task showed that visuospatial working memory continues to have a positive effect on the math performance independently of math anxiety. The implications in the educational setting are discussed, pointing to the importance of monitoring and intervention studies on affective factors.

The influence of sex on the relations among spatial ability, math anxiety and math performance

BACKGROUND

A large body of research has found stronger math anxiety in females and suggests that inferior spatial abilities (or attributes towards spatial abilities) in females compared to males are the origin of sex differences in math anxiety.

PURPOSE

To fully explore the complex relationship among math anxiety, spatial abilities, math performance and sex differences, the current study examined spatial skills, working memory skills, math anxiety, and self-efficacy as predictors of math performance.

BASIC PROCEDURES

Participating in the study were 89 undergraduate Israeli students (44 males and 45 females).

MAIN FINDINGS

The result showed sex differences in a few domains: math anxiety was higher in females compared to males, males outperformed females in number line performance and spatial skills. The relationships among spatial abilities, math performance, and math anxiety were stronger in males than in females. By contrast, the relationship between math self-efficacy and performance was stronger in females compared to males.

CONCLUSIONS

This finding demonstrated fundamental differences between the sexes, even with similar performances in curriculum-based assessments.

EXPRESS: Arithmetic operations without symbols are unimpaired in adults with math anxiety

This study characterizes a previously unstudied facet of a major causal model of math anxiety. The model posits that impaired "basic number abilities" can lead to math anxiety, but what constitutes a basic number ability remains underdefined. Previous work has raised the idea that our perceptual ability to represent quantities approximately without using symbols constitutes one of the basic number abilities. Indeed, several recent studies tested how participants with math anxiety estimate and compare non-symbolic quantities. However, little is known about how participants with math anxiety perform arithmetic operations (addition and subtraction) on non-symbolic quantities. This is an important question because poor arithmetic performance on symbolic numbers is one of the primary signatures of high math anxiety. To test the question, we recruited 92 participants and asked them to complete a math anxiety survey, two measures of working memory, a timed symbolic arithmetic test, and a non-symbolic "approximate arithmetic" task. We hypothesized that if impaired ability to perform operations was a potential causal factor to math anxiety, we should see relationships between math anxiety and both symbolic and approximate arithmetic. However, if math anxiety relates to precise or symbolic representation, only a relationship between math anxiety and symbolic arithmetic should appear. Our results show no relationship between math anxiety and the ability to perform operations with approximate quantities, suggesting that difficulties performing perceptually based arithmetic operations does not constitute a basic number ability linked to math anxiety.

Executive functions, math anxiety and math performance in middle school students

Previous studies mainly investigated working memory (WM) and math anxiety (MA) leaving almost unexplored other aspects of executive functions (EFs) in middle school period. Filling the gap in the literature, the aims of this study were: (1) to better examine the relationship between MA and math performance, (2) to better examine the relationship between EFs and math performance and (3) to investigate the interplay between EFs and MA on math performances. This study confirmed a significant and negative relationship between MA and math performance, indicates a significant and positive relationship between visuospatial WM and math performance, shifting and math performance and highlight a scarcely investigated indirect influence of MA through the measure of shifting on math performance. Our findings shed further light on the mediating role of EFs between MA and math performance and underline some future perspectives.

Mathematics and Numerosity but Not Visuo-Spatial Working Memory Correlate with Mathematical Anxiety in Adults

Many individuals, when faced with mathematical tasks or situations requiring arithmetic skills, experience exaggerated levels of anxiety. Mathematical anxiety (MA), in addition to causing discomfort, can lead to avoidance behaviors and then to underachievement. However, the factors inducing MA and how MA deploys its detrimental effects are still largely debated. There is evidence suggesting that MA affects working memory capacity by further diminishing its limited processing resources. An alternative account postulates that MA originates from a coarse early numerical cognition capacity, the perception of numerosity. In the current study, we measured MA, math abilities, numerosity perception and visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) in a sample of neurotypical adults. Correlational analyses confirmed previous studies showing that high MA was associated with lower math scores and worse numerosity estimation precision. Conversely, MA turned out to be unrelated to VSWM capacities. Finally, partial correlations revealed that MA fully accounted for the relationship between numerosity estimation precision and math abilities, suggesting a key role for MA as a mediating factor between these two domains.

The link between math anxiety and performance does not depend on working memory: A network analysis study

Math anxiety (MA) and working memory (WM) influence math performance. Yet the interplay between them is not fully understood. Inconsistent results possibly stem from the multicomponent structure of math performance and WM. Using network analysis approach, we investigated the drivers of the MA, WM and math performance edges, and the contribution of each node to the network. First, 116 women completed a battery of tests and questionnaires. Second, we explored the generalizability of our model by applying it to a new data-set (Skagerlund et al., 2019; conceptual replication). The results revealed: (1) the links between MA and WM depend on specific task properties, specifically, WM tasks that require manipulation of numbers; (2) WM and MA are independently linked to math performance; and (3) each WM task is associated with different math abilities. The study provides a strong and reliable model showing the direct effects of math anxiety on math performance.

Working Memory and Its Mediating Role on the Relationship of Math Anxiety and Math Performance: A Meta-Analysis

It is well established that math anxiety has a negative relationship with math performance (MP). A few theories have provided explanations for this relationship. One of them, the Attentional Control Theory (ACT), suggests that anxiety can negatively impact the attentional control system and increase one's attention to threat-related stimuli. Within the ACT framework, the math anxiety (MA)-working memory (WM) relationship is argued to be critical for math performance. The present meta-analyses provides insights into the mechanisms of the MA-MP relation and the mediating role of WM. Through database searches with pre-determined search strings, 1,346 unique articles were identified. After excluding non-relevant studies, data from 57 studies and 150 effect sizes were used for investigating the MA-MP correlation using a random-effects model. This resulted in a mean correlation of r = -0.168. The database search of WM as a mediator for the MA-MP relation revealed 15 effects sizes leading to a descriptive rather than a generalizable statistic, with a mean indirect effect size of -0.092. Overall, the results confirm the ACT theory, WM does play a significant role in the MA-MP relationship.

The Relationship Between Math Anxiety and Math Performance: A Meta-Analytic Investigation

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.

Non-adaptive strategy selection in adults with high mathematical anxiety

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.