Arithmetic Skill May Refine the Performance of Individuals with High Math Anxiety, Especially in the Calculation Task: An ERP Study.

ABSTRACT: As a global phenomenon, the theme of math anxiety has received increasing attention. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between math anxiety and performance and determine the role of arithmetic skill in two different tasks. Fifty-seven college freshmen were recruited to perform a comparison task and a calculation task. Only main effect of arithmetic skill was found on the behavioral level. In the comparison task, participants with high math anxiety (HMA) showed faster latencies and greater amplitudes of N1 and longer P3b latency relative to their counterparts with low math anxiety (LMA). Number, as a negative stimulus, occupied attentional resources and delayed the speed of cognitive processing for individuals with HMA. Furthermore, among those with HMA, individuals wi

SUBMITTER: Huang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6746767 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature