Wu Sarah S, Willcutt Erik G, Escovar Emily, Menon Vinod
University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
J Learn Disabil. 2014 Nov-Dec;47(6):503-14. doi: 10.1177/0022219412473154. Epub 2013 Jan 11.
Although behavioral difficulties are well documented in reading disabilities, little is known about the relationship between math ability and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Here, we use standardized measures to investigate the relation among early math ability, math anxiety, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in a group of 366 second and third graders. Math achievement was significantly correlated with attentional difficulties and social problems but not with internalizing symptoms. The relation between math achievement and externalizing behavioral problems was stronger in girls than in boys. Math achievement was not correlated with trait anxiety but was negatively correlated with math anxiety. Critically, math anxiety differed significantly between children classified as math learning disabled (MLD), low achieving (LA), and typically developing (TD), with math anxiety significantly higher in the MLD and LA groups compared to the TD group. Our findings suggest that, even in nonclinical samples, math difficulties at the earliest stages of formal math learning are associated with attentional difficulties and domain-specific anxiety. These findings underscore the need for further examination of the shared cognitive, neural, and genetic influences underlying problem solving and nonverbal learning difficulties and accompanying internalizing and externalizing behaviors.
尽管阅读障碍中的行为困难已有充分记录，但对于数学能力与内化行为和外化行为之间的关系却知之甚少。在此，我们使用标准化测量方法，对366名二、三年级学生的早期数学能力、数学焦虑以及内化行为和外化行为之间的关系进行调查。数学成绩与注意力困难和社交问题显著相关，但与内化症状无关。数学成绩与外化行为问题之间的关系在女孩中比在男孩中更强。数学成绩与特质焦虑无关，但与数学焦虑呈负相关。至关重要的是，在被归类为数学学习障碍（MLD）、低成就（LA）和发育正常（TD）的儿童中，数学焦虑存在显著差异，与TD组相比，MLD组和LA组的数学焦虑明显更高。我们的研究结果表明，即使在非临床样本中，正式数学学习最早阶段的数学困难也与注意力困难和特定领域的焦虑有关。这些发现强调了进一步研究解决问题和非言语学习困难以及伴随的内化和外化行为背后的共同认知、神经和遗传影响的必要性。
