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The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect in highly math-anxious individuals: An ERP study
M I Núñez-Peña1, À Colomé2, B González-Gómez3
1Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology (Quantitative Psychology Section), Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.
Highly math-anxious individuals exhibit a stronger Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect. This suggests greater difficulty controlling number-response conflicts, particularly in demanding cognitive tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Mathematics Education
Background:
- The Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect demonstrates a link between numerical magnitude and spatial response location.
- Math anxiety is prevalent and can impact cognitive performance, particularly in numerical tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the SNARC effect in individuals with high (HMA) versus low (LMA) math anxiety.
- To explore the neural correlates of the SNARC effect using electroencephalography (EEG).
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a number comparison task while their event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded.
- The SNARC effect was assessed by comparing response latencies and ERP components (P3b) in congruent versus incongruent trials.
- Participants were categorized as HMA or LMA based on math anxiety levels.
Main Results:
- HMAs showed a stronger SNARC effect, with slower responses in incongruent trials for larger numbers.
- HMAs exhibited a less positive centroparietal P3b component in incongruent trials for larger magnitudes.
- These findings suggest heightened conflict between automatic number-response associations and task demands in HMAs.
Conclusions:
- Math anxiety influences the automatic spatial representation of numbers and the cognitive control processes involved in numerical tasks.
- HMAs experience greater difficulty resolving conflicts between number-magnitude and response-side associations, especially under cognitive load.
- ERP measures like P3b provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying math anxiety's impact on numerical cognition.
