Abstract
Math anxiety (MA), or the negative physiological, emotional, and cognitive states frequently aroused by math activities, is/are recognized as an important threat to human development and well-being. MA manifests itself at the cognitive (negative thoughts and rumination), emotional (negative affect), physiological (arousal, sweating), and behavioral (math avoidance) levels. We review current knowledge regarding MA as a construct and its genetic, personal, familiar, educational, and cultural antecedents and consequents. MA is both an antecedent and a consequent of low math achievement. MA leads to negative attitudes, beliefs, and avoidance of math, reducing math learning opportunities and constraining career choices. MA directly disrupts automatic and controlled numerical processing and calculations through several mechanisms: speed-accuracy trade-offs, competition for resources and faulty inhibition in working memory, attentional bias, maladaptive error responses, and complex arousal effects. A reciprocal inhibition between dorsal cortical areas associated with controlled and math processing and activation of ventral areas related to negative emotions has been proposed. Recognition of MA is based on observation and self-report questionnaires assessing its cognitive and affective dimensions. Currently, there are no external validity criteria regarding the severity level and psychosocial impact of MA. The role of negative experiences with parents and teachers as a source of MA and the ways to effectively prevent and cope with them are underlined. There is growing interest in the application of new technologies to relieve MA. The psychosocial relevance of MA is likely to persist, or even to increase, as our society becomes increasingly dependent on technology.
Keywords
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Obs. References marked with # refer to self-report questionnaires presented in Tables 29.1, 29.2, and 29.3.
Akin, A., & Kurbanoglu, I. N. (2011). The relationships between math anxiety, math attitudes, and self-efficacy: A structural equation model. Studia Psychologica, 53(3), 263.
Alexander, L., & Martray, C. R. (1989). The development of an abbreviated version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 22(3), 143–150 #.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). Washington, DC: Author. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Andrews, A., & Brown, J. (2015). The effects of math anxiety. Education, 135(3), 362–370 #.
Ariapooran, S. (2017). Mathematics motivation, anxiety, and performance in female deaf/hard-of-hearing and hearing students. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 38(3), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740116681271 #.
Aronson, A. R., & Lang, F. M. (2010). An overview of MetaMap: Historical perspective and recent advances. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 17(3), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.1136/jamia.2009.002733
Aronson, J., Lustina, M. J., Good, C., Keough, K., Steele, C. M., & Brown, J. (1999). When white men can’t do math: Necessary and sufficient factors in stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), 29–46. https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1998.1371
Artemenko, C., Daroczy, G., & Nuerk, H. C. (2015). Neural correlates of math anxiety – An overview and implications. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1333. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01333
Ashcraft, M. H., & Faust, M. W. (1994). Mathematics anxiety and mental arithmetic performance: An exploratory investigation. Cognition and Emotion, 8(2), 97–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939408408931
Ashcraft, M. H., & Kirk, E. P. (2001). The relationships among working memory, math anxiety, and performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130(2), 224–237. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.130.2.224
Ashcraft, M. H., Krause, J. A., & Hopko, D. R. (2007). Is math anxiety a mathematical learning disability? In D. B. Berch & M. M. M. Mazzocco (Eds.), Why is math so hard for some children? The nature and origins of mathematical learning difficulties and disabilities (Vol. 29, pp. 329–348). Baltimore, MD: Brookes. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0b013e31817aefe8
Ashcraft, M. H., & Ridley, K. S. (2005). Math anxiety and its cognitive consequences: A tutorial review. In J. I. D. Campbell (Ed.), Handbook of mathematical cognition (pp. 315–327). New York: Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203998045
Auerbach, J. G., Gross-Tsur, V., Manor, O., & Shalev, R. S. (2008). Emotional and behavioral characteristics over s six-year period in youths with persistent and nonpersistent dyscalculia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(3), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219408315637
Austin, S., Wadlington, E., & Bitner, J. (1992). Effect of beliefs about mathematics on math anxiety and math self-concept in elementary teachers. Education, 112(3), 390–396 #.
Baalsrud-Hauge, J. M., Stanescu, I. A., Arnab, S., Ger, P. M., Lim, T., Serrano-Laguna, A., et al. (2015). Learning through analytics architecture to scaffold learning experience through technology-based methods. International Journal of Serious Games, 2(1), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v2i1.38
Babad, E. (2009). The social psychology of the classroom. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203872475
Bai, H., Wang, L., Pan, W., & Frey, M. (2009). Measuring mathematics anxiety: Psychometric analysis of a bidimensional affective scale. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 36(3), 185–194 #.
Baloglu, M., & Kocak, R. (2006). A multivariate investigation of the differences in mathematics anxiety. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(7), 1325–1335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.10.009 #.
Bastin, C., Harrison, B. J., Davey, C. G., Moll, J., & Whittle, S. (2016). Feelings of shame, embarrassment and guilt and their neural correlates: A systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 71, 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016
Batchelor, S., Gilmore, C., & Inglis, M. (2017). Parents’ and children’s mathematics anxiety. In U. Xolocotzin Eligio (Ed.), Understanding emotions in mathematical thinking and learning (pp. 315–336). San Diego: Academic.
Beddington, J., Cooper, C. L., Field, J., Goswami, U., Huppert, F. A., Jenkins, R., et al. (2008). The mental wealth of nations. Nature, 455(7216), 1057–1060. https://doi.org/10.1038/4551057a
Beilock, S. L., Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. C. (2010). Female teachers’ math anxiety affects girls’ math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(5), 1860–1863. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0910967107 #.
Beilock, S. L., & Willingham, D. T. (2014). Math anxiety: Can teachers help students reduce it? Ask the cognitive scientist. American Educator, 38(2), 28.
Bekdemir, M. (2010). The pre-service teachers’ mathematics anxiety related to depth of negative experiences in mathematics classroom while they were students. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 75(3), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-010-9260-7
Berkowitz, T., Schaeffer, M. W., Maloney, E. A., Peterson, L., Gregor, C., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Math at home adds up to achievement in school. Science, 350(6257), 196–198. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7427
Betz, N. E. (1978). Prevalence, distribution, and correlates of math anxiety in college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25(5), 441. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.25.5.441 #.
Biondi, R. L., Vasconcellos, L., Menezes-Filho, N., & Cristia, J. P. (2012). Evaluating the impact of the Brazilian public school math Olympics on the quality of education [with comment]. Economia, 12(2), 143–175. https://doi.org/10.1353/eco.2012.0004
Blatchford, P. (1996). Pupils’ views on school work and school from 7 to 16 years. Research Papers in Education, 11(3), 263–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267152960110305
Bong, M., & Skaalvik, E. M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-efficacy: How different are they really?. Educational psychology review, 15(1), 1-40. doi: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021302408382
Bosmans, G., & De Smedt, B. (2015). Insecure attachment is associated with math anxiety in middle childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1506. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01596
Brunyé, T. T., Mahoney, C. R., Giles, G. E., Rapp, D. N., Taylor, H. A., & Kanarek, R. B. (2013). Learning to relax: Evaluating four brief interventions for overcoming the negative emotions accompanying math anxiety. Learning and Individual Differences, 27, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2013.06.008
Budd, C. J. (2015). Promoting maths to the general public. In R. Kadosh & A. Dowker (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of numerical cognition (pp. 3–16). Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642342.013.024
Buelow, M. T., & Frakey, L. L. (2013). Math anxiety differentially affects WAIS-IV arithmetic performance in undergraduates. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 28(4), 356–362. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/act006 #.
Bull, R., & Lee, K. (2014). Executive functioning and mathematics achievement. Child Development Perspectives, 8(1), 36–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12059
Bursal, M., & Paznokas, L. (2006). Mathematics anxiety and preservice elementary teachers’ confidence to teach mathematics and science. School Science and Mathematics, 106(4), 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2006.tb18073.x
Butterworth, B., & Laurillard, D. (2010). Low numeracy and dyscalculia: Identification and intervention. Mathematics Education, 42, 527–539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-010-0267-4
Carey, E., Hill, F., Devine, A., & Szücs, D. (2016). The chicken or the egg? The direction of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1987. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01987
Cezarotto, M. A., & Battaiola, A. L. (2016). Game design recommendations focusing on children with developmental dyscalculia. In P. Zaphiris & A. Ioannou (Eds.), Learning and Collaboration Technologies (Vol. 9753). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39483-1_42
Chapman, B. P., Duberstein, P. R., Sörensen, S., & Lyness, J. M. (2007). Gender differences in Five Factor Model personality traits in an elderly cohort. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(6), 1594–1603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.04.028
Ching, B. H. H. (2017). Mathematics anxiety and working memory: Longitudinal associations with mathematical performance in Chinese children. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 51, 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.06.006 #.
Chinn, S. (2009). Mathematics anxiety in secondary students in England. Dyslexia, 15(1), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.1002/dys.381
Chiu, L. H., & Henry, L. L. (1990). Development and validation of the Mathematics Anxiety Scale for Children. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 23(3), 121–127. #
Chiu, M. M., & Xihua, Z. (2008). Family and motivation effects on mathematics achievement: Analyses of students in 41 countries. Learning and Instruction, 18(4), 321–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2007.06.003
Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2009). Learning and teaching early math: The learning trajectories approach. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203883389
Clute, P. S. (1984). Mathematics anxiety, instructional method, and achievement in a survey course in college mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.2307/748987 #.
Cribbs, J. D., Hazari, Z., Sonnert, G., & Sadler, P. M. (2015). Establishing an explanatory model for mathematics identity. Child Development, 86(4), 1048–1062. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12363
Dehaene, S. (2009). Reading in the brain: The science and evolution of a human invention. New York: Viking. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NT.0000390229.06299.08
Devine, A., Fawcett, K., Szűcs, D., & Dowker, A. (2012). Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 8(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-8-33 #.
Dew, K. H., Galassi, J. P., & Galassi, M. D. (1984). Math anxiety: Relation with situational test anxiety, performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 580–583. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.580
Dietrich, J. F., Huber, S., Moeller, K., & Klein, E. (2015). The influence of math anxiety on symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude processing. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1621. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01621
Dougherty, C. (2003). Numeracy, literacy and earnings: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of youth. Economics of Education Review, 22(5), 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7757(03)00040-2
Dowker, A., Bennett, K., & Smith, L. (2012). Attitudes to mathematics in primary school children. Child Development Research, 2012, 124939. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/124939 #.
Dowker, A., Sarkar, A., & Looi, C. Y. (2016). Mathematics anxiety: What have we learned in 60 years? Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 508. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00508
Dreger, R. M., & Aiken Jr., L. R. (1957). The identification of number anxiety in a college population. Journal of Educational Psychology, 48(6), 344–351. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045894 #.
Drisko, J. W. (1993). Personality and gender differences: Comparing clinicians and researchers. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 63(2), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377319309517383 #.
Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Williams, K. D. (2003). Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion. Science, 302(5643), 290–292. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1089134
Eisenberger, N. I., Way, B. M., Taylor, S. E., Welch, W. T., & Lieberman, M. D. (2007). Understanding genetic risk for aggression: Clues from the brain’s response to social exclusion. Biological Psychiatry, 61(9), 1100–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.08.007
Eysenck, M. W., & Calvo, M. G. (1992). Anxiety and performance: The processing efficiency theory. Cognition & Emotion, 6(6), 409–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699939208409696
Faust, M. W. (1992). Analysis of physiological reactivity in mathematics anxiety. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, OH.
Faust, M. W., Ashcraft, M. H., & Fleck, D. E. (1996). Mathematics anxiety effects in simple and complex addition. Mathematical Cognition, 2(1), 25–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/135467996387534
Fennema, E., & Sherman, J. A. (1976). Fennema-Sherman mathematics attitudes scales: Instruments designed to measure attitudes toward the learning of mathematics by females and males. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 7(5), 324–326. https://doi.org/10.2307/748467 #.
Ferguson, A. M., Maloney, E. A., Fugelsang, J., & Risko, E. F. (2015). On the relation between math and spatial ability: The case of math anxiety. Learning and Individual Differences, 39, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2015.02.007
Frenzel, A. C., Goetz, T., Pekrun, R., & Watt, H. M. (2010). Development of mathematics interest in adolescence: Influences of gender, family, and school context. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(2), 507–537.
Frenzel, A. C., Pekrun, R., & Goetz, T. (2007). Perceived learning environment and students’ emotional experiences: A multilevel analysis of mathematics classrooms. Learning and Instruction, 17(5), 478–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2007.09.001
Frick, A., Åhs, F., Engman, J., Alaie, I., Björkstrand, J., Frans, Ö., et al. (2015). Serotonin synthesis and reuptake in social anxiety disorder: A positron emission tomography study. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(8), 794–802. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.012
Gierl, M. J., & Bisanz, J. (1995). Anxieties and attitudes related to mathematics in grades 3 and 6. The Journal of Experimental Education, 63(2), 139–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.1995.9943818 #.
Gough, P. B. (1996). How children learn to read and why they fail. Annals of Dyslexia, 46(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02648168
Gresham, G. (2007). An invitation into the investigation of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and learning styles in elementary preservice teachers. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 13, 24–33 #.
Gresham, G. (2008). Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy in elementary pre-service teachers. Teaching Education, 19, 171. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210802250133
Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2012). The role of parents and teachers in the development of gender-related math attitudes. Sex Roles, 66(3–4), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-9996-2
Haase, V. G., Júlio-Costa, A., Pinheiro-Chagas, P., Oliveira, L. F. S., Micheli, L. R., & Wood, G. (2012). Math self-assessement, but not negative feelings, predicts mathematics performance of elementary school children. Child Development Research, 2012, 982672. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/982672 #.
Harari, R. R., Vukovic, R. K., & Bailey, S. P. (2013). Mathematics anxiety in young children: An exploratory study. The Journal of Experimental Education, 81(4), 538–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2012.727888 #.
Hariri, A. R., Mattay, V. S., Tessitore, A., Kolachana, B., Fera, F., Goldman, D., et al. (2002). Serotonin transporter genetic variation and the response of the human amygdala. Science, 297(5580), 400–403. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1071829
Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. (1988). Working memory, comprehension, and aging: A review and a new view. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 22, 193–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-7421(08)60041-9
Hassinger-Das, B., Jordan, N. C., & Dyson, N. (2015). Reading stories to learn math: Mathematics vocabulary instruction for children with early numeracy difficulties. The Elementary School Journal, 116(2), 242–264. https://doi.org/10.1086/683986
Hazari, Z., Potvin, G., Cribbs, J. D., Godwin, A., Scott, T. D., & Klotz, L. (2017). Interest in STEM is contagious for students in biology, chemistry, and physics classes. Science Advances, 3(8), e1700046. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700046
Hembree, R. (1990). The nature, effects, and relief of mathematics anxiety. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 21, 33–46. https://doi.org/10.2307/749455
Ho, H. Z., Senturk, D., Lam, A. G., Zimmer, J. M., Hong, S., Okamoto, Y., & Chiu, S. Y. (2000). The affective and cognitive dimensions of math anxiety: A cross-national study. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 31, 363–379. https://doi.org/10.2307/749811
Hopko, D. R. (2003). Confirmatory factor analysis of the math anxiety rating scale–revised. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 63(2), 336–351. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164402251041 #.
Hopko, D. R., Ashcraft, M. H., Gute, J., Ruggiero, K. J., & Lewis, C. (1998). Mathematics anxiety and working memory: Support for the existence of a deficient inhibition mechanism. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 12, 343–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(98)00019-X
Hopko, D. R., Mahadevan, R., Bare, R. L., & Hunt, M. K. (2003). The abbreviated math anxiety scale (AMAS) construction, validity, and reliability. Assessment, 10(2), 178–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191103010002008 #.
Hopko, D. R., McNeil, D. W., Gleason, P. J., & Rabalais, A. E. (2002). The emotional Stroop paradigm: Performance as a function of stimulus properties and self-reported mathematics anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26(2), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014578218041
Iben, M. F. (1991). Attitudes and mathematics. Comparative Education, 2(2), 135–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305006910270203 #.
Iuculano, T., & Kadosh, R. C. (2014). Preliminary evidence for performance enhancement following parietal lobe stimulation in developmental dyscalculia. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 38. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00038
Jameson, M. M. (2013). The development and validation of the Children’s Anxiety in Math Scale. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 31(4), 391–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282912470131 #.
Jameson, M. M. (2014). Contextual factors related to math anxiety in second-grade children. The Journal of Experimental Education, 82(4), 518–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2013.813367 #.
Jameson, M. M., & Fusco, B. R. (2014). Math anxiety, math self-concept, and math self-efficacy in adult learners compared to traditional undergraduate students. Adult Education Quarterly, 64(4), 306–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713614541461 #.
Jansen, B. R., Louwerse, J., Straatemeier, M., Van der Ven, S. H., Klinkenberg, S., & Van der Maas, H. L. (2013). The influence of experiencing success in math on math anxiety, perceived math competence, and math performance. Learning and Individual Differences, 24, 190–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.12.014 #.
Johns, M., Schmader, T., & Martens, A. (2005). Knowing is half the battle: Teaching stereotype threat as a means of improving women’s math performance. Psychological Science, 16(3), 175–179. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.00799.x
Kadosh, R. C., Dowker, A., Heine, A., Kaufmann, L., & Kucan, K. (2013). Interventions for improving numerical abilities: Present and future. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 2(2), 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2013.04.001
Kamann, M. P., & Wong, B. Y. (1994). Inducing adaptive coping self-statements in children with learning disabilities through self-instruction training. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26(9), 630–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/002221949302600913
Kendler, K. S., Myers, J., & Prescott, C. A. (2002). The etiology of phobias: An evaluation of the stress-diathesis model. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59(3), 242–248. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.59.3.242
Kirk, E. P., & Ashcraft, M. H. (2001). Telling stories: The perils and promise of using verbal reports to study math strategies. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 27(1), 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.27.1.157 #.
Klumpp, H., Fitzgerald, D. A., Cook, E., Shankman, S. A., Angstadt, M., & Phan, K. L. (2014). Serotonin transporter gene alters insula activity to threat in social anxiety disorder. NeuroReport, 25(12), 926. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNR.0000000000000210
Krendl, A. C., Richeson, J. A., Kelley, W. M., & Heatherton, T. F. (2008). The negative consequences of threat: A functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying women’s underperformance in math. Psychological Science, 19(2), 168–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02063.x
Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., Dowker, A., Thomas, G., Graf, M., Nuerk, H. C., & Willmes, K. (2007). German version of the math anxiety questionnaire (FRA) for 6-to 9-year-old children. Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, 35(5), 341–351. https://doi.org/10.1024/1422-4917.35.5.341 #.
Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., & Willmes, K. (2009). Math anxiety and math ability in early primary school years. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27(3), 206–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282908330583 #.
Lai, Y., Zhu, X., Chen, Y., & Li, Y. (2015). Effects of mathematics anxiety and mathematical metacognition on word problem solving in children with and without mathematical learning difficulties. PLoS One, 10(6), e0130570. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130570 #.
Lee, J. (2009). Universals and specifics of math self-concept, math self-efficacy, and math anxiety across 41 PISA 2003 participating countries. Learning and Individual Differences, 19(3), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2008.10.009
Levine, S. C., Suriyakham, L. W., Rowe, M. L., Huttenlocher, J., & Gunderson, E. A. (2010). What counts in the development of young children’s number knowledge? Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1309. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019671
Lindberg, S. M., Hyde, J. S., Petersen, J. L., & Linn, M. C. (2010). New trends in gender and mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 1123–1135. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021276
Lindskog, M., Winman, A., & Poom, L. (2017). Individual differences in nonverbal number skills predict math anxiety. Cognition, 159, 156–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2016.11.014
Lyons, I. M., & Beilock, S. L. (2012a). When math hurts: Math anxiety predicts pain network activation in anticipation of doing math. PLoS One, 7(10), e48076. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048076
Lyons, I. M., & Beilock, S. L. (2012b). Mathematics anxiety: Separating the math from the anxiety. Cerebral Cortex, 22(9), 2102–2110. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhr289
Ma, X., & Kishor, N. (1997). Attitude toward self, social factors, and achievement in mathematics: A meta-analytic review. Educational Psychology Review, 9(2), 89–120. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024785812050
Ma, X., & Xu, J. (2004). The causal ordering of mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement: A longitudinal panel analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 27(2), 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2003.11.003
Malanchini, M., Rimfeld, K., Shakeshaft, N. G., Rodic, M., Schofield, K., Selzam, S., et al. (2017). The genetic and environmental aetiology of spatial, mathematics and general anxiety. Scientific Reports, 7, 42218. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep42218
Maloney, E. A., Ansari, D., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2011). The effect of mathematics anxiety on the processing of numerical magnitude. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 64(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2010.533278 #.
Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents’ math anxiety on children’s math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 26(9), 1480–1488. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615592630 #.
Maloney, E. A., Risko, E. F., Ansari, D., & Fugelsang, J. (2010). Mathematics anxiety affects counting but not subitizing during visual enumeration. Cognition, 114(2), 293–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2009.09.013 #.
Maloney, E. A., Waechter, S., Risko, E. F., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2012). Reducing the sex difference in math anxiety: The role of spatial processing ability. Learning and Individual Differences, 22, 380–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.01.001 #.
Mattarella-Micke, A., Mateo, J., Kozak, M. N., Foster, K., & Beilock, S. L. (2011). Choke or thrive? The relation between salivary cortisol and math performance depends on individual differences in working memory and math-anxiety. Emotion, 11(4), 1000–1005. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023224
Mazzocco, M. M. M., Hanich, L. B., & Noeder, M. M. (2012). Primary school age students’ spontaneous comments about math reveal emerging dispositions linked to later mathematics achievement. Child Development Research, 170, 310. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/170310
McLean, C. P., Asnaani, A., Litz, B. T., & Hofmann, S. G. (2011). Gender differences in anxiety disorders: Prevalence, course of illness, comorbidity and burden of illness. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(8), 1027–1035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.03.006
McLean, J. F., & Rusconi, E. (2014). Mathematical difficulties as decoupling of expectation and developmental trajectories. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 44. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00044
McLeod, D. B., Metzger, W., & Craviotto, C. (1989). Comparing experts’ and novices’ affective reactions to mathematical problem solving: An exploratory study. In G. Kaiser (Ed.), Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Conference for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 2, pp. 296–303). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62597-3
McMullan, M., Jones, R., & Lea, S. (2012). Math anxiety, self-efficacy, and ability in British undergraduate nursing students. Research in Nursing & Health, 35(2), 178–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21460
Meece, J. L., Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (1990). Predictors of math anxiety and its influence on young adolescents’ course enrollment intentions and performance in mathematics. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 60–70. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.82.1.60 #.
Melhuish, E. C., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., Phan, M., & Malin, A. (2008). Preschool influences on mathematics achievement. Science, 321(5893), 1161–1162. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1158808
Micoulaud-Franchi, J. A., Mcgonigal, A., Lopez, R., Daudet, C., Kotwas, I., & Bartolomei, F. (2015). Electroencephalographic neurofeedback: Level of evidence in mental and brain disorders and suggestions for good clinical practice. Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology, 45(6), 423–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucli.2015.10.077
Mizala, A., Martínez, F., & Martínez, S. (2015). Pre-service elementary school teachers’ expectations about student performance: How their beliefs are affected by their mathematics anxiety and student’s gender. Teaching and Teacher Education, 50, 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.04.006 #.
Moore, A. M., Rudig, N. O., & Ashcraft, M. H. (2014). Affect, motivation, working memory, and mathematics. In R. Kadosh & A. Dowker (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of numerical cognition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642342.013.004
Mulhern, F., & Rae, G. (1998). Development of a shortened form of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58(2), 295–306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164498058002012 #.
Neale, D. C. (1969). The role of attitudes in learning mathematics. The Arithmetic Teacher, 16(8), 631–640.
Newson, L., & Richerson, P. J. (2009). Why do people become modern? A Darwinian explanation. Population and Development Review, 35(1), 117–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2009.00263.x
Ninaus, M., Pereira, G., Stefitz, R., Prada, R., Paiva, A., Neuper, C., & Wood, G. (2015). Game elements improve performance in a working memory training task. International Journal of Serious Games, 2(1), 3–16.
Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Suárez-Pellicioni, M. (2014). Less precise representation of numerical magnitude in high math-anxious individuals: An ERP study of the size and distance effects. Biological Psychology, 103, 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.09.004
Oakhill, J., Cain, K., & Elbro, C. (2014). Understanding and teaching reading comprehension. A handbook. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2015.1052233
Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs and mathematical problem-solving of gifted students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21(4), 325–344. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1996.0025 #.
Pajares, F., & Graham, L. (1999). Self-efficacy, motivation constructs, and mathematics performance of entering middle school students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 24(2), 124–139.
Pajares, F., & Kranzler, J. (1995). Self-efficacy beliefs and general mental ability in mathematical problem-solving. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 20(4), 426–443. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1995.1029
Park, D., Ramirez, G., & Beilock, S. L. (2014). The role of expressive writing in math anxiety. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20(2), 103. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000013
Parsons, S., & Bynner, J. (2005). Does numeracy matter more? London: University of London, Institute of Education National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy.
Pasqualotto, A. (2016). Transcranial random noise stimulation benefits arithmetic skills. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 133, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2016.05.004
Piccolo, L. R., Giacomoni, C. H., Júlio-Costa, A., Oliveira, S., Zbornika, J., Haase, V. G., & Salles, J. F. (2017). Reading anxiety in L1: Reviewing the concept. Early Childhood Education Journal, 4, 537–543. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219407310838
Plake, B. S., & Parker, C. S. (1982). The development and validation of a revised version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 42(2), 551–557. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316448204200218 #.
Pletzer, B., Wood, G., Moeller, K., Nuerk, H. C., & Kerschbaum, H. H. (2010). Predictors of performance in a real-life statistics examination depend on the individual cortisol profile. Biological Psychology, 85(3), 410–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.08.015
Ramirez, G., & Beilock, S. L. (2011). Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom. Science, 331(6014), 211–213. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199427 Erratum in: Science. (2014), 344(6180), 151.
Ramirez, G., Chang, H., Maloney, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2016). On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.07.014 #.
Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2013). Math anxiety, working memory, and math achievement in early elementary school. Journal of Cognition and Development, 14(2), 187–202 #.
Räsänen, P. (2015). Computer-assisted interventions on basic number skills. In Kadosh, R. C., & Dowker, A. (Eds.). The Oxford handbook of numerical cognition. Oxford Library of Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199642342.013.63
Rattan, A., Good, C., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). “It’s ok—Not everyone can be good at math”: Instructors with an entity theory comfort (and demotivate) students. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(3), 731–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.12.012
Richardson, F. C., & Suinn, R. M. (1972). The mathematics anxiety rating scale: Psychometric data. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19(6), 551–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033456 #.
Rubinsten, O., & Tannock, R. (2010). Mathematics anxiety in children with developmental dyscalculia. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-6-46
Sakolsky, D. J., McCracken, J. T., & Nurmi, E. L. (2012). Genetics of pediatric anxiety disorders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 21, 479–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2012.05.010
Sandman, R. S. (1980). The mathematics attitude inventory: Instrument and user’s manual. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 11, 148–149. https://doi.org/10.2307/748906 #.
Sarkar, A., Dowker, A., & Kadosh, R. C. (2014). Cognitive enhancement or cognitive cost: Trait-specific outcomes of brain stimulation in the case of mathematics anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(50), 16605–16610. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3129-14.2014 #.
Satake, E., & Amato, P. P. (1995). Mathematics anxiety and achievement among Japanese elementary school students. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55(6), 1000–1007. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164495055006009 #.
Schoenberg, P. L., & David, A. S. (2014). Biofeedback for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 39(2), 109–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-014-9246-9
Sherman, J. (1982). Continuing in mathematics: A longitudinal study of the attitudes of high school girls. Psychology of Women Quartely, 7(3), 272–281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1983.tb00825.x #.
Sibley, M. H., Campez, M., Perez, A., Morrow, A. S., Merrill, B. M., Altszuler, A. R., et al. (2016). Parent management of organization, time management, and planning deficits among adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38(2), 216–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-015-9515-9
Siegler, R. S., & Ramani, G. B. (2009). Playing linear number board games—But not circular ones—Improves low-income preschoolers’ numerical understanding. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 545–560. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014239
Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women’s math performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1998.1373
Stankov, L. (2010). Unforgiving Confucian culture: A breeding ground for high academic achievement, test anxiety and self-doubt? Learning and Individual Differences, 20(6), 555–563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.05.003
Stoet, G., & Geary, D. C. (2012). Can stereotype threat explain the gender gap in mathematics performance and achievement? Review of General Psychology, 16(1), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026617
Stoet, G., & Geary, D. C. (2013). Sex differences in mathematics and reading achievement are inversely related: Within- and across-nation assessment of 10 years of PISA data. PLoS One, 8(3), e57988. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057988
Stoet, G., & Geary, D. C. (2016). Challenges for determining the causal effects between social behavior and testosterone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(5), E499–E499. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1522422113
Strauss, S., & Ziv, M. (2012). Teaching is a natural cognitive ability for humans. Mind, Brain, and Education, 6(4), 186–196. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-228X.2012.01156.x
Suárez-Pellicioni, M., Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Colomé, A. (2013a). Abnormal error monitoring in math-anxious individuals: Evidence from error-related brain potentials. PLoS One, 8, e81143 doi:10. 1371/journal.pone.0081143.
Suárez-Pellicioni, M., Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Colomé, A. (2013b). Mathematical anxiety effects on simple arithmetic processing efficiency: An event-related potential study. Biological Psychology, 94(3), 517–526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.09.012
Suárez-Pellicioni, M., Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Colomé, A. (2014). Reactive recruitment of attentional control in math anxiety: An ERP study of numeric conflict monitoring and adaptation. PLoS One, 9, e99579. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099579
Suárez-Pellicioni, M., Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Colomé, A. (2015). Attentional bias in high math-anxious individuals: Evidence from an emotional Stroop task. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1577. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01577
Suárez-Pellicioni, M., Núñez-Peña, M. I., & Colomé, À. (2016). Math anxiety: A review of its cognitive consequences, psychophysiological correlates, and brain bases. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 16(1), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-015-0370-7
Suinn, R. M., & Edwards, R. (1982). The measurement of mathematics anxiety: The mathematics anxiety rating scale for adolescents—MARS-A. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(3), 576–580. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(198207)38:3<576::AID-JCLP2270380317>3.0.CO;2-V #.
Suinn, R. M., Taylor, S., & Edwards, R. W. (1988). Suinn mathematics anxiety rating scale for elementary school students (MARS-E): Psychometric and normative data. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 48(4), 979–986. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164488484013 #.
Suinn, R. M., & Winston, E. H. (2003). The mathematics anxiety rating scale, a brief version: Psychometric data. Psychological Reports, 92(1), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2003.92.1.167 #.
Supekar, K., Iuculano, T., Chen, L., & Menon, V. (2015). Remediation of childhood math anxiety and associated neural circuits through cognitive tutoring. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(36), 12574–12583. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0786-15.2015 #.
Swars, S. L., Daane, C. J., & Giesen, J. (2006). Mathematics anxiety and mathematics teacher efficacy: What is the relationship in elementary preservice teachers. School Science and Mathematics, 106, 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2006.tb17921.x
Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitie load theory. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8126-4
Tahan, M. (1993). The man who counted: A collection of mathematical adventures (Vol. 34, p. 102). New York: WW Norton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hru023
Tan, J. B., & Yates, S. (2011). Academic expectations as sources of stress in Asian students. Social Psychology of Education, 14(3), 389–407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9146-7
Thomas, G., & Dowker, A. (2000). Mathematics anxiety and related factors in young children. In Proceedings of the British Psychological Society Developmental Section Conference. Bristol: British Psychological Society #.
Tooke, D. J., & Lindstrom, L. C. (1998). Effectiveness of a mathematics methods course in reducing math anxiety of preservice elementary teachers. School Science and Mathematics, 98(3), 136–139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.1998.tb17406.x
Tsui, J. M., & Mazzocco, M. M. (2006). Effects of math anxiety and perfectionism on timed versus untimed math testing in mathematically gifted sixth graders. Roeper Review, 29(2), 132–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783190709554397 #.
Turner, J. C., Midgley, C., Meyer, D. K., Gheen, M., Anderman, E. M., Kang, Y., & Patrick, H. (2002). The classroom environment and students’ reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multimethod study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 88–106. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.94.1.88
Van Houtem, C. M. H. H., Laine, M. L., Boomsma, D. I., Ligthart, L., Van Wijk, A. J., & De Jongh, A. (2013). A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 27(4), 379–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007
Vukovic, R. K., Roberts, S. O., & Green Wright, L. (2013). From parental involvement to children’s mathematical performance: The role of mathematics anxiety. Early Education & Development, 24(4), 446–467. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2012.693430
Wai, J., Cacchio, M., Putallaz, M., & Makel, M. C. (2010). Sex differences in the right tail of cognitive abilities: A 3 year examination. Intelligence, 38(4), 412–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2010.04.006
Wang, Z., Hart, S. A., Kovas, Y., Lukowski, S., Soden, B., Thompson, L. A., et al. (2014). Who is afraid of math? Two sources of genetic variance for mathematical anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(9), 1056–1064. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12224 #.
Wigfield, A., & Meece, J. L. (1988). Math anxiety in elementary and secondary school students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(2), 210. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.80.2.210 #.
Wittman, T. K., Marcinkiewicz, H. R., & Hamodey-Douglas, S. (1998, February). Computer assisted automatization of multiplication facts reduces mathematics anxiety in elementary school children. In Maushak, N. J., Schlosser, C., Lloyd, T. N., Simonson, M. (Eds). Selected research and development presentations at the National Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Sponsored by the Research and Theory Division. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/86921/; https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED423869.pdf
Wolfgang, C. H., Stannard, L. L., & Jones, I. (2001). Block play performance among preschoolers as a predictor of later school achievement in mathematics. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568540109594958
Wong, H. M., & Goh, E. C. (2014). Dynamics of ADHD in familial contexts: Perspectives from children and parents and implications for practitioners. Social Work in Health Care, 53(7), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2014.924462
Wood, G., Pinheiro-Chagas, P., Júlio-Costa, A., Micheli, A. R., Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., et al. (2012). Math Anxiety Questionnaire: Similar latent structure in Brazilian and German school children. Child Development Research, 610192. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/610192 #.
Wu, S. S., Barth, M., Amin, H., Malcarne, V., & Menon, V. (2012). Math anxiety in second and third graders and its relation to mathematics achievement. Frontiers in Psychology, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00162 #.
Wu, S. S., Chen, L., Battista, C., Watts, A. K. S., Willcutt, E. G., & Menon, V. (2017). Distinct influences of affective and cognitive factors on children’s non-verbal and verbal mathematical abilities. Cognition, 166, 118–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2017.05.016 #.
Wu, S. S., Willcutt, E. G., Escovar, E., & Menon, V. (2014). Mathematics achievement and anxiety and their relation to internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47(6), 503–514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219412473154 #.
Young, C. B., Wu, S. S., & Menon, V. (2012). The neurodevelopmental basis of math anxiety. Psychological Science, 23(5), 492–501. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611429134
Young, M. F., Slota, S., Cutter, A. B., Jalette, G., Mullin, G., Lai, B., et al. (2012). Our princess is in another castle: A review of trends in serious gaming for education. Review of Educational Research, 82(1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312436980
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Haase, V.G., Guimarães, A.P.L., Wood, G. (2019). Mathematics and Emotions: The Case of Math Anxiety. In: Fritz, A., Haase, V.G., Räsänen, P. (eds) International Handbook of Mathematical Learning Difficulties. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97148-3_29
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97148-3_29
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97147-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97148-3
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)