Does Math Anxiety Impede Working Memory

Although many people state that they have math anxiety, quantifying the extent to which this can inhibit learning has proven challenging. In an attempt to do so, Shi & Liu (2016)’s study “Worrying Thoughts Limit Working Memory Capacity in Math Anxiety” hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of math anxiety would show poorer working level memory capacity performance when confronted with material with mathematical content, versus individuals with lower levels of mathematics anxiety. The authors based their hypothesis on previous research which suggested “MA detrimentally impacts mathematical performance by disrupting WM resources otherwise devoted to skill execution” (Shi & Liu, 2015, p.11).
After dividing Chinese undergraduate volunteers into two groups of 61 individuals using the Math Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) and a text anxiety scale, participants were scored on working memory on neutral tasks and in mathematical tasks. Although the groups performed similarly on the general tests of working memory, students who had been classified as having significant math anxiety versus those in the low anxiety group confirmed the hypothesis and performed more poorly on tests of working memory related to mathematical subjects. They study designers hypothesized that anxiety about performance acted as a drain upon the subject’s cognitive resources.
The findings of the study are significant because they suggest that anxiety itself can prove to be a barrier to effective learning in math classes. Even though the high anxiety group performed comparably to the low anxiety group on general tests of working memory, once confronted with mathematical materials, they appeared to shut down. Of course, the research which was conducted was relatively preliminary in nature. The study sample was small, with only 61 students relegated to each group. The study was also relatively homogeneous, as all participants were of university age, Chinese, and drawn from the same demographic category. Furthermore, the question arises if non-mathematical working memory tests are really comparable to mathematical working memory tests.
It is possible that the high anxiety group felt more math anxiety not simply due to negative self-perceptions but because they had genuinely greater cognitive difficulties in math. Although the test subjects were assessed on the level of math anxiety, they were not assessed on their level of math ability, to see if the two were interrelated. Finally, math anxiety may vary depending on the types of problems presented. Even the study designers noted that many individuals with math anxiety do not struggle with arithmetic but experience intense anxiety when confronted with problems pertaining to higher mathematics.
A final question the study raises is the utility of focusing on working memory. Although working memory may be one component of solving mathematical problems it is not the only component. While working memory may be more affected by test anxiety than some other components of solving mathematical problems, this does not mean that all aspects of problem-solving are equally affected. This is significant given that while reducing mathematical anxiety may be somewhat helpful in improving performance, it may not be as dramatic as the results of the study imply.