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Math anxiety and developmental dyscalculia: A study on working memory processes.
Irene C Mammarella1, Francesca Hill, Amy Devine
1a Department of Developmental and Social Psychology , University of Padova , Padova , Italy.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
|August 28, 2015
Summary
Children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) show visuospatial working memory deficits, while those with mathematics anxiety (MA) exhibit verbal working memory impairments. Understanding these differences is key for educational and clinical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Difficulties in arithmetic are common in children, but underlying cognitive and emotional factors remain unclear.
- This study investigates cognitive factors in children with developmental dyscalculia (DD) and mathematics anxiety (MA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) in children with DD and MA versus typically developing (TD) children.
- To determine if children with DD and MA have distinct impairments in verbal and visuospatial STM and WM.
Main Methods:
- Matched groups of children (DD, MA, TD) based on reading comprehension, IQ, and general anxiety.
- Administered computerized tasks assessing verbal and visuospatial STM (forward recall) and WM (backward recall).
Main Results:
- Children with DD showed specific impairments in visuospatial working memory tasks, not verbal tasks.
- Children with MA demonstrated particular impairments in verbal working memory tasks.
Conclusions:
- Distinct cognitive profiles exist for children with DD and MA regarding memory functions.
- Identifying these underlying cognitive processes can inform educational and clinical support for children struggling with mathematics.
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