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The effects of anxious responding on mental arithmetic and lexical decision task performance
Derek R Hopko1, Daniel W McNeil, C W Lejuez
1Department of Psychology, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-0900, USA. dhopko@utk.edu
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|November 20, 2003
Summary
This study found that while 7% carbon dioxide gas effectively induced anxiety, it did not disrupt performance on cognitive tasks. However, high math anxiety negatively impacted performance, especially on complex math problems.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychophysiology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Anxiety and skill deficits are linked to performance issues like math anxiety.
- The precise impact of anxious responding on performance remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how anxiety, induced by 7% carbon dioxide (CO2), affects performance on mental arithmetic and lexical decision tasks.
- To examine the relationship between math anxiety, gender, and task performance under induced anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-four undergraduates completed performance tasks (mental arithmetic, lexical decision) under normal or 7% CO2 conditions.
- Anxiety levels were measured using physiological and self-report methods.
- Participants were categorized by math anxiety levels.
Main Results:
- 7% CO2 successfully induced anxiety, confirmed by physiological and self-report measures.
- Carbon dioxide inhalation did not significantly alter performance on the cognitive tasks.
- Individuals with high math anxiety demonstrated poorer performance, particularly on advanced math and working memory tasks.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety induction via 7% CO2 is effective but does not universally impair cognitive performance.
- Math anxiety is a significant predictor of performance deficits in mathematical tasks.
- Findings suggest complex interactions between anxiety, skill level, and cognitive load.