Anxiety, working memory, gender, and math performance

This investigation evaluated the relations between visual and verbal working memory; state, trait, and math anxiety; gender; and applied and basic math performance in 100 adults. The design tested predictions regarding which subsystem of working memory is associated with both math anxiety and math performance. The study also tested whether the Processing Efficiency Theory and the Arousal-Performance Function apply to anxiety and performance in the math domain. In addition, gender differences in the relations between math anxiety and math performance were explored. Results indicated that math anxiety was the strongest predictor of both applied and basic math performance. However, this finding was moderated by the gender of the participants. Both visual and verbal working memory were found to be significant factors in accounting for the variance in math performance measured broadly, differing from findings in previous studies. Math anxiety appears to primarily impact visual working memory, contradicting previous findings that anxiety is primarily processed in verbal working memory and supporting the hypothesis that math anxiety does not function similarly to other types of anxiety. In addition, results supported the Processing Efficiency Theory but did not support the Arousal-Performance Function relating math anxiety and math performance. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.