Psychological Development and Education ›› 2020, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 10-18.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2020.01.02

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Math Anxiety Affects Children's Numerical Representation: Cognitive Inhibition as a Moderator

GUAN Dongxiao, AI Jiru, HUANG Bijuan, CUI Shuang, SI Jiwei   

  1. School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358
  • Published:2020-02-05

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Abstract: The current paper examined differences among children with different level of math anxiety in the processing of numerical magnitude under condition of inhibition and non-inhibition. 70 third graders, including 36 high math anxiety children (HMA) and 34 low math anxiety children (LMA), were employed and asked to accomplish symbolic numerical representation tasks and non-symbolic numerical representation tasks. The results showed that numerical distance effect was found in all participants. Compared to symbolic numerical representation tasks, the ACC of HMA children was lower than LMA children in non-symbolic numerical representation tasks, and the distance effect was larger for HMA group than for LMA group. Additionally, HMA had poorer performance in inhibition condition than LMA children. These findings suggested that math anxiety may not only affect difficult mathematical tasks, but simple numerical tasks. And the cognitive inhibition plays a regulatory role in this processing.

Key words: mathematics anxiety, cognitive inhibition, symbolic numerical representation, non-symbolic numerical representation, children

Ashcraft, M. H. (2002). Math anxiety:Personal, educational, and cognitive consequences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(5), 181-185.
Ashcraft, M. H., & Faust, M. W. (1994). Mathematics anxiety and mental arithmetic performance:An exploratory investigation. Cognition & Emotion, 8(2), 97-125.
Ashcraft, M. H., & Kirk, E. P. (2001). The relationships among working memory, math anxiety, and performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology:General, 130(2), 224-37.
Ashcraft, M. H., & Moore, A. M. (2009). Mathematics anxiety and the affective drop in performance. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27(3), 197-205.
Krajcsi, A., Lengyel, G., & Kojouharova, P. (2018). Symbolic number comparison is not processed by the analog number system:Different symbolic and non-symbolic numerical distance and size effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 124. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00124
Bonny, J. W., & Lourenco, S. F. (2013). The approximate number system and its relation to early math achievement:Evidence from the preschool years. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114(3), 375-388.
Brysbaert, M. (2005). Number recognition in different formats. In Campbell, J. I. D. (Ed.), Handbook of Mathematical Cognition (pp. 23-42). New York:Psychology Press.
Cantlon. J. F., Platt, M. L., & Brannon, E. M. (2009). Beyond the number domain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(2), 83-91.
Cargnelutti, E., Tomasetto, C., & Passolunghi, M. C. (2016). How is anxiety related to math performance in young students? A longitudinal study of grade 2 to grade 3 children. Cognition & Emotion, 31(4), 755-764.
De Smedt. B., Verschaffel, L., & Ghesquière, P. (2009). The predictive value of numerical magnitude comparison for individual differences in mathematics achievement. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 103(4), 469-479.
Dehaene, S. (1997). The number sense. New York:Oxford University Press.
Dehaene, S., Dehaene-Lambertz, G., & Cohen, L. (1998). Abstract representations of numbers in the animal and human brain. Trends in Neuroscience, 21(8), 355-361.
Dehaene, S., Piazza, M., Pinel, P., & Cohen, L. (2003). Three parietal circuits for number processing. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 20(3), 487-506.
Dietrich, J. F., Huber, S., Moeller, K., & Klein, E. (2015). The influence of math anxiety on symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude processing.Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1621. Doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01621
Eysenck, M. W., & Calvo, M. G. (1992). Anxiety and performance:the processing efficiency theory. Cognition and Emotion, 6, 409-434.
Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance:Attentional control theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336-353.
Fernanda, D. O. F., Wood, G., Pinheirochagas, P., Lonnemann, J., Krinzinger, H., Willmes, K., et al. (2012). Explaining school mathematics performance from symbolic and nonsymbolic magnitude processing:Similarities and differences between typical and low-achieving children. Psychology & Neuroscience, 5(1), 37-4606.
French, J. W., Ekstrom, R. B., & Price, L. A. (1963). Kit of reference tests for cognitive factors. Princeton, N.J:Educational Testing Service.
Fuhs, M. W., & McNeil, N. M. (2013). ANS acuity and mathematics ability in preschoolers from low-income homes:Contributions of inhibitory control. Developmental Science, 16(1), 136-148.
Geary, D. C., & Vanmarle, K. (2016). Young children's core symbolic and nonsymbolic quantitative knowledge in the prediction of later mathematics achievement. Developmental Psychology, 52(12), 2130-2144.
Gilmore, C., Attridge, N., Clayton, S., Cragg, L., Johnson, S., Marlow, N., et al. (2013). Individual differences in inhibitory control, not non-verbal number acuity, correlate with mathematics achievement. Plos One, 8(6), e67374. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0067374
Gilmore, C., Keeble, S., Richardson, S., & Cragg, L. (2015). The role of cognitive inhibition in different components of arithmetic. ZDM, 47(5), 771-782.
Halberda, J., & Feigenson, L. (2008). Developmental change in the acuity of the "number sense":the approximate number system in 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and adults. Developmental Psychology, 44(5), 1457-1465.
Holloway, I. D., & Ansari, D. (2009). Mapping numerical magnitudes onto symbols:The numerical distance effect and individual differences in children's mathematics achievement. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 103(1), 17-29.
Imbo, I. (2007). Strategy selection and strategy efficiency in mental arithmetic (Doctoral Dissertation). Gent University.
Landerl, Karin, Bevan, Anna, Butterworth, & Brian. (2004). Developmental dyscalculia and basic numerical capacities:A study of 8-9-year-old students. Cognition, 93(2), 99-125.
Lindskog, M., Winman, A., & Poom, L. (2017). Individual differences in nonverbal number skills predict math anxiety. Cognition, 159, 156-162.
Lonnemann, J., Linkersdörfer, J., Hasselhorn, M., & Lindberg, S. (2011). Symbolic and non-symbolic distance effects in children and their connection with arithmetic skills. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 24(5), 583-591.
Lyons, I. M., Ansari, D., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Qualitatively different coding of symbolic and non-symbolic numbers in the human brain. Human Brain Mapping. 36, 475-488.
Maloney, E. A., Ansari, D., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2011). The effect of mathematics anxiety on the processing of numerical magnitude. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64(1), 10-16.
Maloney, E. A., Risko, E. F., Ansari, D., & Fugelsang, J. (2010). Mathematics anxiety affects counting but not subitizing during visual enumeration. Cognition, 114(2), 293-297.
Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive function and their contribution to complex "Frontal Lobe" tasks:A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41(1), 49-100.
Mock, J., Huber, S, Klein, E., & Moeller, K. (2016). Insights into numerical cognition:considering eye-fixations in number processing and arithmetic. Psychological Research, 80(3), 334-359.
Moyer, R. S., & Landauer, T. K. (1967). Time required for judgments of numerical inequality. Nature, 215(5190), 1519-1520.
Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Suárez-Pellicioni, M. (2014). Less precise representation of numerical magnitude in high math-anxious individuals:An ERP study of the size and distance effects. Biological Psychology, 103, 176-183.
Pizzie, R. G., & Kraemer, D. J. M. (2017). Avoiding math on a rapid timescale:Emotional responsivity and anxious attention in math anxiety. Brain and Cognition, 118, 100-107.
Ramirez, G., Chang, H., Maloney, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2016). On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school:The role of problem solving strategies. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 83-100.
Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E, A., Levine, S, C., & Beilock. S, L. (2013). Math anxiety, working memory, and math achievement in early elementary school. Journal of Cognition & Development, 14(2), 187-202.
Sabourin, J. L., & Lester, J. C. (2014). Affect and engagement in game-based learning environments. IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, 5(1), 45-56.
Siegler, R. S., & Pyke, A. A. (2013). Developmental and individual differences in understanding of fractions. Developmental Psychology, 49(10), 1994-2004.
Szucs, D., Devine, A., Soltesz, F., Nobes, A., & Gabriel, F. (2013). Developmental dyscalculia is related to visuo-spatial memory and inhibition impairment. Cortex, 49(10), 2674-2688.
Thomas, G., & Dowker, A. (2000). Mathematics anxiety and related factors in young children. Paper presented at British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference, Bristol, UK.
Titia, G., & Bert, R. (2011). Generating non-symbolic number stimuli. Behavior Research Methods, 43(4), 981-986
陈琪. (2016). 数学焦虑影响数学任务表现的作用机制研究(硕士学位论文). 内蒙古师范大学, 呼和浩特.
陈英和. (2015). 儿童数量表征与数概念的发展特点及机制. 心理发展与教育, 31(1), 21-28.
陈英和, 耿柳娜. (2005). 数学焦虑对儿童加减法认知策略选择和执行的影响. 心理发展与教育, 21(4), 24-27.
陈英和, 赖颖慧. (2013). 儿童非符号数量表征的特点及作用探析. 北京师范大学学报(社会科学版),21(1), 33-41.
黄碧娟. (2017). 算术技能与数学焦虑的关系及其对数字认知的影响:行为和电生理学证据(硕士学位论文). 山东师范大学,济南.
李红霞, 司继伟, 陈泽建, 张堂正. (2015). 人类的近似数量系统. 心理科学进展, 23(4), 562-570.
刘桂荣, 张景焕. (2017). 教育心理学研究的特点和趋势-基于2011-2015年Journal of Educational Psychology刊载文章的分析. 山东师范大学学报, 62(4), 123-132.
牛玉柏, 张丽芬, 肖帅, 曹贤才. (2018). 小学生近似数量系统敏锐度的发展趋势及其与数学能力的关系:抑制控制的中介作用. 心理科学, 41(2), 344-350.
司继伟, 徐艳丽, 封洪敏, 许晓华, 周超. (2014). 不同数学焦虑成人的算术策略运用差异:ERP研究. 心理学报, 46(12), 1835-1849.
孙燕, 司继伟, 徐艳丽. (2012). 数学焦虑影响大学生/儿童估算策略运用的对比研究. 心理发展与教育, 28(3), 263-270.
腾静. (2015). 儿童非符号数量表征与数学学业成绩的关系(硕士学位论文). 华东师范大学, 上海.
王翠艳, 刘昌. (2007). 数学焦虑对心算加工的影响. 心理科学进展, 15(5), 795-801.
王君, 陈天勇. (2012). 抑制控制与高级认知功能的关系. 心理科学进展, 20(11), 1768-1778.
闫国利, 熊建萍, 臧传丽, 余莉莉, 崔磊, 白学军. (2013). 阅读研究中的主要眼动指标评述. 心理科学进展, 21(4), 589-605.
[1] CHU Yue, LIU Xiping, XU Hui, TANG Weihai. Developmental Characteristics of Socially Shared Retrieval-induced Forgetting in Children [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 153-159.
[2] LIU Yanchun, DENG Yuting, ZHANG Xi. Sharing Behavior towards Different Recipients in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: The Role of Theory of Mind [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 160-168.
[3] LIANG Dandan, YAN Xiaomin, GE Zhilin. The Development of Emotion Recognition Ability in 4~8 Years Old Chinese Children with High-functioning Autism Based on Language Cues [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 169-175.
[4] SHI Mengmeng, REN Guiqin, SUN Junhong, ZHANG Xinxing. Effects of Vocabulary Type and Reading Ability on Reading Comprehension Monitoring in First Grade Pupils [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(2): 207-214.
[5] LENG Xinyi, SU Mengmeng, LI Wenling, YANG Xiujie, XING Ailing, ZHANG Xianglin, SHU Hua. The Relation between Home Environment and Early Language Development in Rural China [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(1): 8-18.
[6] ZHAO Jingwei, CHEN Xiaoxu, REN Liwen, GENG Zhe, XU Fuzhen. Parental Psychological Control and Children’s Anxiety: A Moderated Mediating Model [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2024, 40(1): 93-102.
[7] ZHU Naping, LIU Yanling, XIONG Hongmei, ZHAO Pan. Justice Comes Sooner or Later: The Development Characteristics of Children’s Fair Normative Executive Behavior in Different Resource Allocation Situations [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(6): 772-780.
[8] GAO Zihui, JIAO Yu, WANG Xi, LIU Xiaocen. The Influence of Dynamic and Static Text Presentation of Electronic Picture Books on Children’s Reading Experience and Learning Effect [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(6): 817-824.
[9] REN Liwen, MA Yuanchi, ZHANG Qingyao, ZHANG Lingling, XU Fuzhen. Reciprocal Relations between Parental Psychological Control and Children's School Adjustment: A Cross-lagged Analysis [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(5): 635-644.
[10] WANG Yingjie, LUAN Jinxin, LI Yan. The Relationship between Maternal Parenting Stress and Preschool Children's Anxiety: The Mediating Effect of Mother-child Conflict and the Moderating Effect of Maternal Mindfulness [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(5): 702-709.
[11] LI Tiantian, DONG Huiqin. Children's Perception of Interparental Conflict and Anxiety: The Mediating Effect of Attention to Positive and Negative Information and the Moderating Effect of Gender [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(4): 488-496.
[12] YIN Xiaolan, ZHOU Lujun, ZHU Cuiying. The Effect of School Environment on the Rural Left-behind Children's Prosocial Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Life Satisfaction [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(4): 497-504.
[13] JIN Xing, LIU Jinghong, MA Yue, YU Zhanyu. A Comparative Study on the Attentional Blink of Body Expression between Deaf and Normal Children [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 305-312.
[14] ZHAO Xian, WANG Zhihang, WANG Dongfang, YUAN Yanyun, YIN Xiayun, LI Zhihua. Developmental Trajectory of Prosocial Behavior in Impoverished Children during Early Adolescence: The Effects of Gender and Parenting Style Heterogeneity [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(3): 323-332.
[15] LIU Shuang, LI Mei, FENG Xiaohang, ZHANG Xiangkui. A Longitudinal Study of Mastery Motivation and Competence in Early Childhood: The Moderating Effects of Types of Task and Temperament [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2023, 39(2): 161-172.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
Copyright 2018 © Editorial office of Psychological Development and Education
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd