The Relationship Between the Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Students: The Moderating Effect of Working Memory
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Mathematics anxiety negatively impacts math achievement, with visual working memory uniquely moderating this relationship. This suggests targeted interventions for students struggling with math anxiety and visual working memory.
Area Of Science
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background
- Mathematics anxiety is a significant barrier to academic success in middle school.
- Working memory, encompassing visual, verbal, and central executive functions, is crucial for cognitive tasks, including mathematics.
- The interplay between mathematics anxiety and working memory subcomponents in predicting mathematics achievement requires further investigation.
Purpose Of The Study
- To examine the moderating role of working memory subcomponents (visual, verbal, central executive) in the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement.
- To assess the direct predictive effects of mathematics anxiety and working memory on mathematics achievement in middle school students.
Main Methods
- A correlational and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted on data from 92 seventh-grade students.
- Mathematics anxiety was measured using the Mathematics Anxiety Scale.
- Visual working memory, verbal working memory, and central executive function were assessed using rotation span, operation-letter span, and Stroop tasks, respectively.
- Mathematics achievement was determined by midterm exam scores.
Main Results
- Mathematics anxiety was negatively correlated with mathematics achievement and had a significant negative predictive effect.
- Mathematics anxiety was negatively associated with all working memory subcomponents (visual, verbal, central executive).
- Visual working memory significantly moderated the negative relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement, while verbal working memory and central executive function did not.
Conclusions
- Working memory subcomponents play distinct roles in how mathematics anxiety affects academic performance.
- Visual working memory's resource-dependent nature may intensify cognitive resource competition under anxiety, impacting mathematics achievement.
- Findings support the development of targeted interventions for students with high visual working memory capacity experiencing mathematics anxiety.
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