Math Anxiety: Personal, Educational, and Cognitive Consequences

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark H. Ashcraft
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Teaching Styles ◽  
Ongoing Activity ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
On Line ◽  
Whole Number Arithmetic

Highly math-anxious individuals are characterized by a strong tendency to avoid math, which ultimately undercuts their math competence and forecloses important career paths. But timed, on-line tests reveal math-anxiety effects on whole-number arithmetic problems (e.g., 46 + 27), whereas achievement tests show no competence differences. Math anxiety disrupts cognitive processing by compromising ongoing activity in working memory. Although the causes of math anxiety are undetermined, some teaching styles are implicated as risk factors. We need research on the origins of math anxiety and on its “signature” in brain activity, to examine both its emotional and its cognitive components.

scholarly journals What Can Eye Movements Tell Us about Subtle Cognitive Processing Differences in Autism?

Vision ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Philippa L Howard ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Valerie Benson
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Principal Characteristics ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Processing Measure ◽  
On Line ◽  
Processing Differences

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental condition principally characterised by impairments in social interaction and communication, and repetitive behaviours and interests. This article reviews the eye movement studies designed to investigate the underlying sampling or processing differences that might account for the principal characteristics of autism. Following a brief summary of a previous review chapter by one of the authors of the current paper, a detailed review of eye movement studies investigating various aspects of processing in autism over the last decade will be presented. The literature will be organised into sections covering different cognitive components, including language and social communication and interaction studies. The aim of the review will be to show how eye movement studies provide a very useful on-line processing measure, allowing us to account for observed differences in behavioural data (accuracy and reaction times). The subtle processing differences that eye movement data reveal in both language and social processing have the potential to impact in the everyday communication domain in autism.

Skipping Breakfast Affects the Early Steps of Cognitive Processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-118
Author(s):  
Andrés Antonio González-Garrido ◽  
Jacobo José Brofman-Epelbaum ◽  
Fabiola Reveca Gómez-Velázquez ◽  
Sebastián Agustín Balart-Sánchez ◽  
Julieta Ramos-Loyo
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Brain Potentials ◽  
Brain Functioning ◽  
Attentional Processes ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity ◽  
Skipping Breakfast

Abstract. It has been generally accepted that skipping breakfast adversely affects cognition, mainly disturbing the attentional processes. However, the effects of short-term fasting upon brain functioning are still unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of skipping breakfast on cognitive processing by studying the electrical brain activity of young healthy individuals while performing several working memory tasks. Accordingly, the behavioral results and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) of 20 healthy university students (10 males) were obtained and compared through analysis of variances (ANOVAs), during the performance of three n-back working memory (WM) tasks in two morning sessions on both normal (after breakfast) and 12-hour fasting conditions. Significantly fewer correct responses were achieved during fasting, mainly affecting the higher WM load task. In addition, there were prolonged reaction times with increased task difficulty, regardless of breakfast intake. ERP showed a significant voltage decrement for N200 and P300 during fasting, while the amplitude of P200 notably increased. The results suggest skipping breakfast disturbs earlier cognitive processing steps, particularly attention allocation, early decoding in working memory, and stimulus evaluation, and this effect increases with task difficulty.

An fMRI study of face encoding and recognition in first-episode schizophrenia

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anantha P. P. Anilkumar ◽  
Veena Kumari ◽  
Ravi Mehrotra ◽  
Ingrid Aasen ◽  
Martina T. Mitterschiffthaler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Face Recognition ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenia ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
On Line ◽  
First Episode Schizophrenia

Background:Schizophrenia has been associated with limited abilities to interact effectively in social situations. Face perception and ability to recognise familiar faces are critical for social interaction. Patients with chronic schizophrenia are known to show impaired face recognition. Studying first-episode (FE) patients allows the exclusion of confounding effects of chronicity, medication and institutionalisation in this deficit.Objective:To determine brain (dys)functions during a face encoding and recognition paradigm in FE schizophrenia.Methods:Thirteen antipsychotic-naïve FE schizophrenia patients and 13 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a face encoding and recognition paradigm. Behavioural responses were recorded on line.Results:Patients recognised significantly fewer of previously presented faces than the controls (p = 0.008). At the neural level, both groups activated a network of regions including the fusiform area, occipital, temporal and frontal regions. In brain activity, the two groups did not differ in any region during encoding or recognition conditions (p > 0.05, corrected or uncorrected).Conclusions:Our findings show impaired face recognition without a significant alteration of related brain activity in FE schizophrenia patients. It is possible that neural changes become more strongly evident with progression of the illness, and manifest themselves as behavioural impairments during the early course.

Abstract TP92: Brain Activity Related To The Effects Of Augmented Feedback On Learning Movements In A Dynamic Environment In Healthy Subjects And Stroke Survivors

Stroke ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukul Mukherjee ◽  
Wen-Pin Chang ◽  
Ka-Chun Siu ◽  
Pierre Fayad ◽  
Nicholas Stergiou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Force Field ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
Reaching Movements ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Frequency Bands ◽  
Dynamic Task

Augmented visual feedback has been shown to be effective for learning reaching movements in dynamic environments after a stroke. However, the mechanisms behind such changes are not known. In addition, how brain activity changes with age as we learn novel dynamic tasks is also not clear. The purpose of this study was to examine brain activity changes that are observed when healthy younger and older adults and stroke survivors learn reaching movements in dynamic environments using augmented visual feedback. Healthy young and older adults and chronic stroke survivors were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. They all performed reaching movements with the Inmotion2 robotic system (Interactive Motion Tech Inc., MA) using the dominant/affected arm in a velocity-dependent force field. Controls received actual feedback of their movement, while experimental subjects received augmented visual feedback. Electroencephalogram recordings were analyzed to determine Event Related Desynchronization percent (ERD%). The theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands were examined during movement and pre-movement phases. With learning, the absolute power of the frequency bands increased from the baseline to the adaptation condition, which was then washed out when the force field was removed. With age, there was a reduction in ERD% in alpha and beta bands as the motor task was learned. Stroke subjects had a further reduction in the ERD% in comparison to the healthy older adults. In addition, augmented visual feedback led to a significant increase in the ERD% in comparison to controls during the planning and execution stages of the movement. Past studies have shown when novel dynamics are learned, ERD% reduces indicating increased cognitive processing and memory load. We found that with aging, the cognitive processing and memory required for performing the same dynamic task, increased. After a stroke, there was a further increase. However, the utilization of augmented visual feedback may reduce such requirements and lessen the load on higher centers. These results provide mechanistic support for employing augmented visual feedback for stroke rehabilitation specific to reaching movements in dynamic environments.

The effects of rivastigmine on processing speed and brain activation in patients with multiple sclerosis and subjective cognitive fatigue

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 1351-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Huolman ◽  
P Hämäläinen ◽  
V Vorobyev ◽  
J Ruutiainen ◽  
R Parkkola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Single Dose ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Cognitive Fatigue ◽  
Serial Addition ◽  
The Right

Background: Cognitive decline and fatigue are typical in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is no official medication for either of these symptoms. Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of a single dose of rivastigmine on processing speed and associated brain activity in patients with MS and subjective cognitive fatigue. Methods: Fifteen patients with MS and subjective cognitive fatigue and 13 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, gender and education performed a neuropsychological assessment and functional (f)MRI. A modified version of the Paced Visual Serial Addition Test (mPVSAT) was used as the behavioural task during fMRIs. After the first scanning session, both groups were randomly divided into two subgroups receiving either rivastigmine or placebo. A single dose of rivastigmine or placebo was administrated double-blindly and 2.5 hours later the scanning was repeated. Results: At baseline, the patients with MS showed slower processing speed in mPVSAT compared with the HCs. They also demonstrated stronger bilateral frontal activation after sustained cognitive effort than the HCs. Performance improvement and a further activation increase in the left anterior frontal cortex and additional activation in the right cerebellum were observed in patients who received rivastigmine but not in patients on placebo, or in HCs with placebo or rivastigmine. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that rivastigmine may improve cognitive processing speed by enhancing compensatory brain activation in patients with MS.

Brief Reports: Fraction Knowledge in Preschool Children

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-180
Author(s):  
Robert P. Hunting ◽  
Christopher F. Sharpley
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
The Core ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
Whole Number Arithmetic ◽  
Number Knowledge

Much school mathematics is devoted to teaching concepts and procedures based on those units that form the core of whole number arithmetic (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.). But other topics such as fractions and decimals demand a new and extended understanding of units and their relationships. Behr, Wachsmuth, Post, and Lesh (1984) and Streefland (1984) have noted how children's whole number ideas interfere with their efforts to learn fractions. Hunting (1986) suggested that a reason children seem to have difficulty learning stable and appropriate meanings for fractions is that instruction on fractions, if delayed too long, allows whole number knowledge to become the predominant scheme to which fraction language and symbolism is then related.

scholarly journals Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Techniques Can Modulate Cognitive Processing

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenica Veniero ◽  
Daniel Strüber ◽  
Gregor Thut ◽  
Christoph S. Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Cognitive Behavior ◽  
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation ◽  
Experimental Parameters ◽  
Respective Field ◽  
Transcranial Electric Stimulation ◽  
Multiple Variants ◽  
Selection Of

Recent methods that allow a noninvasive modulation of brain activity are able to modulate human cognitive behavior. Among these methods are transcranial electric stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation that both come in multiple variants. A property of both types of brain stimulation is that they modulate brain activity and in turn modulate cognitive behavior. Here, we describe the methods with their assumed neural mechanisms for readers from the economic and social sciences and little prior knowledge of these techniques. Our emphasis is on available protocols and experimental parameters to choose from when designing a study. We also review a selection of recent studies that have successfully applied them in the respective field. We provide short pointers to limitations that need to be considered and refer to the relevant papers where appropriate.

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