Maths Anxiety Moderates the Effect of Arithmetic Problem Difficulty Level on Cognitive Effort (Poster 47)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Eleven
  In Poster Session: Cognitive and Motivational Processes: Poster Session Four

Abstract

A negative relationship between mathematics anxiety (MA) and mathematics performance have been widely documented. One possible explanation for this relationship is that MA negatively affects mathematics performance by occupying the capacity of the working memory (WM). Yet, no studies have examined if the WM load is indeed increased for high MA participants during mathematical problem solving. This study aims to investigate if MA moderates the effect of arithmetic problem difficulty on cognitive effort in a sample of 98 primary school students from Norway. Our results indicate that problem difficulty level affects cognitive effort as measured by pupil dilation; more cognitive effort is utilized with harder problems, and that MA moderates this effect.

Authors

• Terje Ulv Throndsen, University of Oslo
  Presenting Author

• Oistein Anmarkrud, University of Oslo
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marcus Lindskog, Uppsala University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Riikka Mononen, University of Oulu
  Non-Presenting Author