The chicken or the egg causality dilemma 

Since my last posting, this thought has preoccupied my thinking around maths anxiety. Does low maths ability (and a resultant low self-concept) lead to maths anxiety, or does the affective state of maths anxiety lead to poor maths performance? As a prospective teacher, getting to the crux of this issue could have important implications for my practice.  

If I return to the Krizinger et al. (2009) article Maths Anxiety and Math Ability in Early Primary School Years, they suggest that a definitive position is far from certain. Citing a wide body of research grounded in behaviourism, they posit that "anxiety emerges as an obligatory response to aversive stimulus" (p. 207). Therefore, they suggest, poor performance or a failure to develop understanding will inevitably lead to negative emotions and maths anxiety. Of note also, is the contention that cultural influences and parental expectations of success may contribute this feeling of underwhelming efficacy.  For me, this resonates with the recount of my son's maths anxiety.

However, the second position presented resonates just as strongly (and perhaps soothes my conscience somewhat). Krizinger et al. (2009) present a school of thought that contends that emotional factors influence cognitive ability.  Avoidance  behaviours that are part in parcel with maths anxiety can increase the disparity in calculation performance which is characterised by a "vicious cycle" where less practice leads to comparatively poorer performances which in turn exacerbates anxiety... Another common symptom of maths anxiety is the manifestation of "worrisome thoughts" which have the ability to absorb working memory. Krizinger et al. (2009) refer to Eyseneck & Calvo's (1992) processing efficiency theory which "states that experiencing anxiety will draw on working memory capacities and therefore will compromise cognitive performance" (p. 207).

The relationship between maths anxiety, working memory,  and maths ability looms large in the literature I have sourced for this project and this is an avenue I want to pursue in my next posting.

Krinzinger, H., Kaufmann, L., & Willmes, K. (2009). Math anxiety and math ability in early primary school years. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 27(3), pp. 206 – 225. Retrieved from:http://jpa.sagepub.com/content/27/3/206