EXPRESS: How negative emotions affect young and older adults' numerosity estimation performance

Mathematical problem solving is modulated by word priming

This study aimed to explore the influence of word priming on mathematical problem solving. In two experiments, participants were required to finish multiplication estimation tasks with a specified estimation strategy under different word priming conditions (Experiment 1: concrete words vs. Experiment 2: abstract words). The results showed that: (1) under the concrete word priming condition, in comparison to neutral, positive word priming improved accuracies (ACCs) when using a down-up strategy (e.g., doing 40 × 80 = 3200 for 43 × 78), while both positive and negative word priming reduced reaction time (RT); (2) under the abstract word priming condition, both positive and negative (vs. neutral) abstract word priming reduced RTs, while individuals' ACCs of completing the estimation task were not influenced by valence. The present study showed that whether concrete words or abstract words were adopted as experimental stimuli, participants' performance of completing mathematical problems was modulated by the valence of the priming word, which led us to develop a better understanding of how arithmetic performance is influenced by word processing.

How negative emotions influence arithmetic performance: a comparison of young and older adults

We investigated the influence of negative emotions on arithmetic problem-solving performance and age-related differences therein. Participants were asked to verify complex multiplication problems that were either true (e.g., 4 × 26 = 104) or false (e.g., 5 × 41 = 201). Half the problems were five problems (e.g., 5 × 28 = 140) and half were non-five problems (e.g., 6 × 36 = 216). False five problems violated the five-rule, the parity-rule, both rules, or no rule. Problems were preceded by emotionally neutral or negative pictures. For true problems, emotions impaired performance while verifying non-five problems in young adults only and while verifying five problems in older adults only. For false five problems, negative emotions influenced young adults’ performance while verifying both-rule and no-rule violation problems but not when verifying parity-rule violation or five-rule violation problems. Negative emotions did not influence older adults’ performance whichever false five problems they solved. These findings suggest that negative emotions may change the mechanisms that participants use to solve arithmetic problems and that emotions influence young and older adults via different mechanisms.