Rubinsten Orly, Eidlin Hili, Wohl Hadas, Akibli Orly
Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Department of Learning Disabilities, University of Haifa Haifa, Israel.
Front Psychol. 2015 Oct 16;6:1539. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01539. eCollection 2015.
Cognitive theory from the field of general anxiety suggests that the tendency to display attentional bias toward negative information results in anxiety. Accordingly, the current study aims to investigate whether attentional bias is involved in math anxiety (MA) as well (i.e., a persistent negative reaction to math). Twenty seven participants (14 with high levels of MA and 13 with low levels of MA) were presented with a novel computerized numerical version of the well established dot probe task. One of six types of prime stimuli, either math related or typically neutral, was presented on one side of a computer screen. The prime was preceded by a probe (either one or two asterisks) that appeared in either the prime or the opposite location. Participants had to discriminate probe identity (one or two asterisks). Math anxious individuals reacted faster when the probe was at the location of the numerical related stimuli. This suggests the existence of attentional bias in MA. That is, for math anxious individuals, the cognitive system selectively favored the processing of emotionally negative information (i.e., math related words). These findings suggest that attentional bias is linked to unduly intense MA symptoms.
来自广泛性焦虑领域的认知理论表明，对负面信息表现出注意偏向的倾向会导致焦虑。因此，当前的研究旨在调查注意偏向是否也与数学焦虑（MA，即对数学的持续负面反应）有关。27名参与者（14名高数学焦虑水平者和13名低数学焦虑水平者）参与了一项新颖的计算机化数字版经典点探测任务。六种类型的启动刺激之一，要么与数学相关，要么通常为中性，呈现在电脑屏幕的一侧。启动刺激之前会出现一个探测刺激（一个或两个星号），它出现在启动刺激的位置或相反位置。参与者必须辨别探测刺激的身份（一个或两个星号）。当探测刺激出现在与数字相关的刺激位置时，数学焦虑个体的反应更快。这表明数学焦虑中存在注意偏向。也就是说，对于数学焦虑个体，认知系统选择性地倾向于处理情绪上的负面信息（即与数学相关的词汇）。这些发现表明注意偏向与过度强烈的数学焦虑症状有关。
