Anxiety-Related Difficulties With Complex Arithmetic

Abstract. Human behavior depends on the interplay between cognition and emotion. Negative emotions like anxiety affect performance, particularly in complex tasks, by limiting cognitive resources – known as the anxiety–complexity effect. This study set out to replicate the anxiety–complexity effect in a web-based experiment. We investigated individual differences in math anxiety – a negative emotional response specific to math – and arithmetic performance ( N = 382). The mental arithmetic task consisted of a two-digit addition and subtraction, with/without carrying or borrowing, respectively. As expected and preregistered, higher math anxiety was related to poorer arithmetic performance, especially in complex tasks – indicating the anxiety–complexity effect. Consequently, the negative math anxiety-performance link is especially pronounced for complex arithmetic, which requires calculations across place-values and thus working memory resources. This successful replication of the anxiety–complexity effect suggests that math-anxious individuals have particular difficulties in complex arithmetic.

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Estimation of Cognitive Distraction from Driver Gazing

International Journal of Software Science and Computational Intelligence ◽

10.4018/ijssci.2017040104 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 50-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Akira Yoshizama ◽

Hiroyuki Nishiyama ◽

Hirotoshi Iwasaki ◽

Fumio Mizoguchi

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Data ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Support Vector ◽

Simulation Environment ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Task Load ◽

Cognitive Distraction ◽

Mental Arithmetic Task ◽

Using Data

In their study, the authors sought to generate rules for cognitive distractions of car drivers using data from a driving simulation environment. They collected drivers' eye-movement and driving data from 18 research participants using a simulator. Each driver drove the same 15-minute course two times. The first drive was normal driving (no-load driving), and the second drive was driving with a mental arithmetic task (load driving), which the authors defined as cognitive-distraction driving. To generate rules of distraction driving using a machine-learning tool, they transformed the data at constant time intervals to generate qualitative data for learning. Finally, the authors generated rules using a Support Vector Machine (SVM).

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Intranasal oxytocin reduces heart rate variability during a mental arithmetic task: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.08.016 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 81 ◽

pp. 408-415 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Lincoln M. Tracy ◽

Stephen J. Gibson ◽

Izelle Labuschagne ◽

Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis ◽

Melita J. Giummarra

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Double Blind ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Mental Arithmetic Task

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Causal coherence analysis of heart rate variability and systolic blood pressure variability under mental arithmetic task load

Biological Psychology ◽

10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.07.001 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 217-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Kohzoh Yoshino ◽

Katsunori Matsuoka

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Blood Pressure Variability ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Coherence Analysis ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Task Load ◽

Mental Arithmetic Task ◽

Systolic Blood Pressure Variability ◽

Causal Coherence

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Does visual exposure to one's pet regulate stress levels during the mental arithmetic task?

10.32920/ryerson.14657019 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natalie Ein

Keyword(s):

Stress Reactivity ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Self Report ◽

Induce Stress ◽

Psychosocial Stressor ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Visual Exposure ◽

Physiological Assessment ◽

Mental Arithmetic Task

This thesis examined the role of viewing a picture of one’s pet as a mechanism for alleviating the symptoms of stress. The mental arithmetic task (MAT), a psychosocial stressor was used to induce stress. Participants were randomly assigned into one of six visual conditions: either a picture of their personal pet (n = 9), an unfamiliar animal (n = 9), a person who is supportive and important to the participant (n = 9), an unfamiliar person to the participant (n =8), a pleasant image (control 1) (n = 8) or no image (control 2) (n = 8). Stress reactivity, both physical (e.g., blood pressure) and subjective (self-reported anxiety), were measured. Findings indicated that contrary to the hypothesis, viewing a picture of one’s personal pet did not reduce stress reactivity, measured either subjectively (self-report) or objectively (physiological assessment). However, the study suggests that various images can influence stress reactivity.

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Do Reward-Related Distractors Impair Cognitive Performance? Perhaps Not

Collabra Psychology ◽

10.1525/collabra.169 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dorottya Rusz ◽

Erik Bijleveld ◽

Michiel A. J. Kompier

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Control ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Mental Arithmetic ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Bayesian Analyses ◽

Monetary Rewards ◽

Mental Arithmetic Task ◽

Task Irrelevant ◽

Math Problems

Over a hundred prior studies show that reward-related distractors capture attention. It is less clear, however, whether and when reward-related distractors affect performance on tasks that require cognitive control. In this experiment, we examined whether reward-related distractors impair performance during a demanding arithmetic task. Participants (N = 81) solved math problems, while they were exposed to task-irrelevant stimuli that were previously associated with monetary rewards (vs. not). Although we found some evidence for reward learning in the training phase, results from the test phase showed no evidence that reward-related distractors harm cognitive performance. This null effect was invariant across different versions of our task. We examined the results further with Bayesian analyses, which showed positive evidence for the null. Altogether, the present study showed that reward-related distractors did not harm performance on a mental arithmetic task. When considered together with previous studies, the present study suggests that the negative impact of reward-related distractors on cognitive control is not as straightforward as it may seem, and that more research is needed to clarify the circumstances under which reward-related distractors harm cognitive control.

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