Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Mediates the Relation Between "Specific Math Anxiety" and Arithmetic Speed.

ABSTRACT: There is a growing consensus that math anxiety highly correlates with trait anxiety and that the emotional component elicited by math anxiety affects math performance. Yet few studies have examined the impact of "specific math anxiety" (high math anxiety and low other kinds of anxiety) on math performance and the underlying physiological and affective mechanism. The present study examines the mediation effect of heart rate variability-an affective measurement indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)-in the relationship between specific math anxiety and arithmetic speed. A total of 386 junior high school students completed a self-reported questionnaire to measure their anxiety level. Among this sample, 29 individuals with specific math anxiety (high math anxiety and low reading and tra

SUBMITTER: Tang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7933226 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature