Calculated avoidance: Math anxiety predicts math avoidance in effort-based decision-making
Calculated avoidance: Math anxiety predicts math avoidance in effort-based decision-making
复制标题
DOI：
10.1126/sciadv.aay1062
复制
发表时间：
2019-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
13.6
通讯作者：
Beilock, Sian L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Choe, Kyoung Whan;Jenifer, Jalisha B.;Beilock, Sian L.
数学焦虑-对数学的负面情绪-被假设与避免数学相关的活动有关，例如参加数学课程和追求STEM职业。然而，几乎没有实验证据表明数学焦虑与逃避之间存在联系。这些证据对于制定如何打破这种关系非常重要。我们假设，数学回避出现时，一个人认为努力数学参与的成本超过它的好处，这种看法取决于数学焦虑的个体差异。为了验证这一假设，我们开发了一个基于努力的决策任务，参与者在数学和非数学环境中选择解决简单，低回报的问题和困难，高回报的问题。更高水平的数学焦虑与选择更容易，低回报问题的倾向有关，而不是更难，高回报的数学（但不是文字）问题。解决这种强大的数学焦虑-回避联系有可能增加STEM领域的兴趣和成功。
Math anxiety-negative feelings toward math-is hypothesized to be associated with the avoidance of math-related activities such as taking math courses and pursuing STEM careers. However, there is little experimental evidence for the math anxiety-avoidance link. Such evidence is important for formulating how to break this relationship. We hypothesize that math avoidance emerges when one perceives the costs of effortful math engagement to outweigh its benefits and that this perception depends on individual differences in math anxiety. To test this hypothesis, we developed an effort-based decision-making task in which participants chose between solving easy, low-reward problems and hard, high-reward problems in both math and nonmath contexts. Higher levels of math anxiety were associated with a tendency to select easier, low-reward problems over harder, high-reward math (but not word) problems. Addressing this robust math anxiety-avoidance link has the potential to increase interest and success in STEM fields.