Although many people state that they have math anxiety, quantifying the extent to which this can inhibit learning has proven challenging. In an attempt to do so, Shi & Liu (2016)’s study “Worrying Thoughts Limit Working Memory Capacity in Math Anxiety” hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of math anxiety would show poorer working level memory capacity performance when confronted with material with mathematical content, versus individuals with lower levels of mathematics anxiety. The authors based their hypothesis on previous research which suggested “MA detrimentally impacts mathematical performance by disrupting WM resources otherwise devoted to skill execution” (Shi & Liu, 2015, p.11). After dividing Chinese undergraduate volunteers into two groups of 61 individuals using the Math Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) and a text anxiety scale, participants were scored on working memory on neutral tasks and in mathematical tasks. Although the groups performed similarly on the general tests of working memory, students who had been classified as having significant math anxiety versus those in the low anxiety group confirmed the hypothesis and performed more poorly on tests of working memory related to mathematical subjects. They study designers hypothesized that anxiety about performance acted as a drain upon the...
Even though the high anxiety group performed comparably to the low anxiety group on general tests of working memory, once confronted with mathematical materials, they appeared to shut down. Of course, the research which was conducted was relatively preliminary in nature. The study sample was small, with only 61 students relegated to each group. The study was also relatively homogeneous, as all participants were of university age, Chinese, and drawn from the same demographic category. Furthermore, the question arises if non-mathematical working memory tests are really comparable to mathematical working memory tests.Working Memory and Math Anxiety
Shi Z, Liu P (2016) Worrying thoughts limit working memory capacity in math anxiety.
PLoS ONE 11(10): e0165644. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165644
limit your summary to 8 sentences. The research area is in cognitive processes related to performance, skill learning, and execution. It is related to research on mathematics anxiety, stereotype threats, and how those factors affect performance on math-related tasks. In particular, the researchers are interested in the "choking under pressure" phenomenon in which individuals perform poorer than expected on a task they have mastered, because they are under pressure. Moreover,
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Mindful vs. traditional martial arts toward improved academic grades in children diagnosed with ADHD While medication and psychotherapy are the current best practice in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their benefits and aim are too peripheral and topical -- neither resolving the neurological origin of deficits. Moreover, many are opposed to these treatments and there are few substantiated and readily accepted alternatives. The consequences of ADHD have a ripple effect --
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