Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching

Why is math anxiety usually related to less efficient math processing? According to attentional control theory, anxiety leads to reduced attentional control, which often entails a greater investment of resources (e.g., more time or effort) to carry out a cognitive task. The executive functions mainl...

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Autores: González-Gómez, Belén, Núñez Peña, María Isabel, Colomé, Àngels
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/220851
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/220851
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Matemàtica
Aritmètica
Ansietat
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Anxiety
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spelling Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switchingGonzález-Gómez, BelénNúñez Peña, María IsabelColomé, ÀngelsMatemàticaAritmèticaAnsietatMathematicsArithmeticAnxietyWhy is math anxiety usually related to less efficient math processing? According to attentional control theory, anxiety leads to reduced attentional control, which often entails a greater investment of resources (e.g., more time or effort) to carry out a cognitive task. The executive functions mainly affected by anxiety are inhibition and shifting. Previous studies suggest that math anxiety may impair the inhibitory function. In the present study, the relationship between math anxiety and shifting efficiency when switching between two-digit additions and subtractions was examined. Twenty highly math-anxious and 20 low math-anxious individuals participated in an event-related potential (ERP) transition-cueing experiment. Math anxiety was expected to delay the shifting process, leading to a larger switch cost in response time and no centroparietal cue-locked switch-specific positivity registered in the electroencephalogram during the cue-target interval. Highly math-anxious individuals showed a larger switch cost than their low math-anxious peers. Asymmetrical switch effects between operations in response time were found in both groups, which might be due to larger sequential difficulty effects after subtractions than after additions. The cue-locked switch-specific positivity was present only in the low math-anxious group. The present results suggest that highly math-anxious individuals take longer to shift task sets. Additionally, the highly math-anxious group showed a more positive frontal P2 after the cue that announced a switch to subtraction, probably indicating stronger attentional capture by this cue, because the most threatening condition is anticipated. Taken together, these data suggest that math anxiety also impairs attentional control when switching between arithmetic tasks.John Wiley & Sons2025202520232025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion22 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/220851Articles publicats en revistes (Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l'Educació)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15984European Journal of Neuroscience, 2023, vol. 57, num.11, p. 1848-1869https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15984cc by-nc-nd (c) González-Gómez, Belén et al., 2023https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2208512026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
title Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
spellingShingle Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
González-Gómez, Belén
Matemàtica
Aritmètica
Ansietat
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Anxiety
title_short Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
title_full Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
title_fullStr Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
title_full_unstemmed Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
title_sort Math anxiety and the shifting function: An event-related potential study of arithmetic task switching
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv González-Gómez, Belén
Núñez Peña, María Isabel
Colomé, Àngels
author González-Gómez, Belén
author_facet González-Gómez, Belén
Núñez Peña, María Isabel
Colomé, Àngels
author_role author
author2 Núñez Peña, María Isabel
Colomé, Àngels
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Matemàtica
Aritmètica
Ansietat
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Anxiety
topic Matemàtica
Aritmètica
Ansietat
Mathematics
Arithmetic
Anxiety
description Why is math anxiety usually related to less efficient math processing? According to attentional control theory, anxiety leads to reduced attentional control, which often entails a greater investment of resources (e.g., more time or effort) to carry out a cognitive task. The executive functions mainly affected by anxiety are inhibition and shifting. Previous studies suggest that math anxiety may impair the inhibitory function. In the present study, the relationship between math anxiety and shifting efficiency when switching between two-digit additions and subtractions was examined. Twenty highly math-anxious and 20 low math-anxious individuals participated in an event-related potential (ERP) transition-cueing experiment. Math anxiety was expected to delay the shifting process, leading to a larger switch cost in response time and no centroparietal cue-locked switch-specific positivity registered in the electroencephalogram during the cue-target interval. Highly math-anxious individuals showed a larger switch cost than their low math-anxious peers. Asymmetrical switch effects between operations in response time were found in both groups, which might be due to larger sequential difficulty effects after subtractions than after additions. The cue-locked switch-specific positivity was present only in the low math-anxious group. The present results suggest that highly math-anxious individuals take longer to shift task sets. Additionally, the highly math-anxious group showed a more positive frontal P2 after the cue that announced a switch to subtraction, probably indicating stronger attentional capture by this cue, because the most threatening condition is anticipated. Taken together, these data suggest that math anxiety also impairs attentional control when switching between arithmetic tasks.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023
2025
2025
2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/220851
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/220851
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15984
European Journal of Neuroscience, 2023, vol. 57, num.11, p. 1848-1869
https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15984
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc by-nc-nd (c) González-Gómez, Belén et al., 2023
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc by-nc-nd (c) González-Gómez, Belén et al., 2023
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 22 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv John Wiley & Sons
publisher.none.fl_str_mv John Wiley & Sons
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l'Educació)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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