TY - JOUR

T1 - Influence of Math Anxiety on the Performance of Arithmetic Operations at the Unconscious Level

AU - Князева, Вероника Михайловна

AU - Полякова, Надежда Владимировна

AU - Федоров, Денис Георгиевич

AU - Ситникова, Дарья Даниловна

AU - Александров, Александр Алексеевич

PY - 2025/7/15

Y1 - 2025/7/15

N2 - Signs of math anxiety (MA) are associated with anxiety and fear before performing mathematical tasks. The aim of the present study was to investigate electrophysiological correlates of conscious and unconscious processes during the performance of simple arithmetic operations depending on the level of math anxiety of study subjects. Study subjects were presented with addition tasks followed by correct and incorrect answers. Study subjects with low levels of MA, both in the block with masked and in the block with unmasked presentation of tasks, demonstrated significant increases in the amplitudes of evoked potentials at 300–400 msec (the N400/P300 wave) on presentation of the correct answer as compared with presentation of the incorrect answer. In the group with high MA levels, this difference was observed only during conscious perception (unmasked presentation of tasks). Study subjects with high MA levels showed a significant difference between correct and incorrect answers at 450–650 msec during unconscious perception of tasks, suggesting that the late positive component (LPC) wave had an arithmetic effect. Thus, these results may indicate predominant use of procedural strategies for solution of simple tasks by study subjects with high MA levels. On the other hand, study subjects with low MA levels demonstrated correlates of automatic retrieval of answers directly from long-term memory, even with unconscious perception of stimuli.

AB - Signs of math anxiety (MA) are associated with anxiety and fear before performing mathematical tasks. The aim of the present study was to investigate electrophysiological correlates of conscious and unconscious processes during the performance of simple arithmetic operations depending on the level of math anxiety of study subjects. Study subjects were presented with addition tasks followed by correct and incorrect answers. Study subjects with low levels of MA, both in the block with masked and in the block with unmasked presentation of tasks, demonstrated significant increases in the amplitudes of evoked potentials at 300–400 msec (the N400/P300 wave) on presentation of the correct answer as compared with presentation of the incorrect answer. In the group with high MA levels, this difference was observed only during conscious perception (unmasked presentation of tasks). Study subjects with high MA levels showed a significant difference between correct and incorrect answers at 450–650 msec during unconscious perception of tasks, suggesting that the late positive component (LPC) wave had an arithmetic effect. Thus, these results may indicate predominant use of procedural strategies for solution of simple tasks by study subjects with high MA levels. On the other hand, study subjects with low MA levels demonstrated correlates of automatic retrieval of answers directly from long-term memory, even with unconscious perception of stimuli.

KW - N400

KW - P300

KW - arithmetic

KW - arithmetic verification task

KW - attention

KW - late positive component

KW - masked priming

KW - math anxiety

KW - unconscious perception

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/7676aca5-3cf6-3047-ba4e-815365d08bdb/

U2 - 10.1007/s11055-025-01847-3

DO - 10.1007/s11055-025-01847-3

M3 - Article

VL - 55

SP - 923

EP - 932

JO - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

JF - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

SN - 0097-0549

IS - 5

ER -