How Working Memory Capacity Affects Problem Solving

Wiley, Jennifer; Jarosz, Andrew F.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-394393-4.00006-6

Cited by 97 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 134 publications

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“…Young adults completed two mathematical performance measures, three tests of basic number skills, two small-scale spatial tasks, and control measures of verbal, visual-spatial, and executive working memory. Working memory is strongly related to math performance among adults (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001;DeStefano & LeFevre, 2004;Raghubar, Barnes, & Hecht, 2010;Wiley & Jarosz, 2012) and was controlled to ensure that any relations between fundamental number skills and math anxiety were independent of working memory abilities. Math anxiety was assessed using the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (i.e., AMAS; Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare, & Hunt, 2003) which has been used extensively in other studies with adults (e.g., Ferguson et al, 2015;Maloney et al, 2011Maloney et al, , 2010.…”

Section: Hypothesis 2: As Shown Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the influence of basic cognitive skills on the relation between math performance and math anxiety

Douglas

LeFevre

2018

J. Numer. Cogn.

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What causes math anxiety? According to a cognitive deficits view, early weaknesses in basic number and spatial skills lead to poor performance and hence negative affect. A strong version of this view suggests that the relation between math anxiety and math performance among adults will be explained by deficits in spatial and basic number skills. In the present research, we tested a model to account for the relations among math anxiety, math performance, and cognitive skills (i.e., working memory, basic number and spatial skills) among adults (N = 90). We replicated the modest correlations observed between math anxiety and these cognitive skills. However, we did not find a direct link between basic number and spatial skills and math anxiety; instead, these relations were mediated by complex math performance. We conclude by rejecting the hypothesis that math anxiety in adults is linked directly to individual differences in spatial and basic numerical skills and suggest instead that the present results are consistent with the alternative view in which even basic numerical tasks, under certain conditions may evoke an anxiety response and mask skill proficiency. Finally, we note that caution should be applied when extrapolating correlational results to make causal claims about whether cognitive skills may be precursors in the development of math anxiety.Keywords: Math anxiety, cognition, basic number skills, spatial skills, cognitive deficits, working memory Math anxiety is a negative response to participation in mathematical activities that has consequences for adults' behavior (Ashcraft & Ridley, 2005;Hembree, 1990;Richardson & Suinn, 1972;Suárez-Pellicioni, Núñez-Peña, & Colomé, 2016). Math-anxious students avoid courses that involve mathematics (Ashcraft & Ridley, 2005;Hembree, 1990;Suárez-Pellicioni et al., 2016), they rate themselves as less skilled in math, have less intention to pursue further mathematics, and have lower math confidence than their peers (e.g., Hembree, 1990;LeFevre, Kulak, & Heymans, 1992). Notably, correlations between math anxiety and math performance are moderate and, thus in some models, reduced math competence is assumed to be a consequence of avoiding math-related courses and activities (e.g., Ashcraft & Ridley, 2005) rather than the cause of the anxiety.Recently, however, Maloney and colleagues have proposed a cognitive deficits model which links math anxiety more directly to individual differences in basic number and spatial competencies (Ferguson, Maloney, Fugelsang, & Risko, 2015;Maloney, Ansari, & Fugelsang, 2011;Maloney, Risko, Ansari, & Fugelsang, 2010;Maloney, Waechter, Risko, & Fugelsang, 2012). According to Maloney (2016), "…a cognitive predisposition to the development of math anxiety that starts with a small deficit in the foundational skills and snowballs into a Journal of Numerical Cognition jnc.psychopen.eu | 2363-8761 larger and emotion-laden difference" (p. 408). Support for a cognitive deficits model of math anxiety in adults is limited to the identification of...

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Section: Hypothesis 2: As Shown Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the influence of basic cognitive skills on the relation between math performance and math anxiety

Douglas

LeFevre

2018

J. Numer. Cogn.

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“…Although generally useful for solving non-insight problems, such focused attention may lead individuals to overlook more distantly-related information held outside the perceived problem space (Wiley & Jarosz, 2012a). Second, attentional control supports one's ability to execute complex problem-solving approaches (Hambrick & Engle, 2003;Wiley & Jarosz, 2012b). However, if individuals persist in using such approaches, then they may be slower to recognize that their initial representation of the problem has created an impasse that can only be overcome by developing a new representation of the problem (Schooler, Fallshore, & Fiore, 1995).…”

Section: Executive Attention and Insightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enclothed Cognition and Controlled Attention during Insight Problem-Solving

Stockum¹,

DeCaro

2014

The Journal of Problem Solving

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Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) increase the ability and tendency to devote greater attentional control to a task-improving performance on a wide range of skills. In addition, recent research on enclothed cognition demonstrates that the situational influence of wearing a white lab coat increases controlled attention, due to the symbolic meaning and physical experience of wearing the coat. We examined whether these positive influences on attentional control lead to negative performance outcomes on insight problem-solving, a task thought to rely on associative processes that operate largely outside of explicit attentional control. Participants completed matchstick arithmetic problems while either wearing a white lab coat or in a no-coat control condition. Higher WMC was associated with lower insight problem-solving accuracy in the no-coat condition. In the coat condition, the insight problem-solving accuracy of lower WMC individuals dropped to the level of those higher in WMC. These results indicate that wearing a white lab coat led individuals to increase attentional control towards problem solving, hindering even lower WMC individuals from engaging in more diffuse, associative problem-solving processes, at which they otherwise excel. Trait and state factors known to increase controlled attention and improve performance on more attention-demanding tasks interact to hinder insight problem-solving.

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“…Selectivity and scope are likely interdependent, just as increasing the span of a light beam reduces the intensity of the light. Narrow and highly selective attention may be an advantage in some situations, such as when one is required to fixate on relevant information when solving a complex arithmetic problem (Wiley & Jarosz, 2012) or during rule-based learning (DeCaro, Thomas, & Beilock, 2008). Broadening the spatial scope of attention may spread attentional resources required for selectivity more diffusely, possibly reducing the selective power in a given area (Eriksen & St. James, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Broadening the spatial scope of attention may spread attentional resources required for selectivity more diffusely, possibly reducing the selective power in a given area (Eriksen & St. James, 1986). There are situations, however, in which broad or diffuse attention, paired with less selectivity, is more advantageous, for instance in some forms of search (Smilek, Enns, Eastwood, & Merikle, 2006), information-integration learning (DeCaro et al, 2008), ensemble processing (Alvarez & Oliva, 2009), and creative problem solving (Wiley & Jarosz, 2012). The delicate balance between diffusely distributed and selective attention may be differentially tipped by the fluid nature of task characteristics, mood, or emotion (Schmitz, De Rosa, & Anderson, 2009) or by stable personality traits: some individuals may show a stronger propensity to engage one attentional mode over another.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The scope of no return: Openness predicts the spatial distribution of Inhibition of Return

Wilson

Lowe

Ruppel

et al. 2015

Atten Percept Psychophys

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How and what we attend to is foundational in determining the content of our experience, thus differences in attention contribute significantly to how we perceive the world, learn, and develop. Personality also plays a role in constraining how we learn to perceive the world and it is conceivable that some facets of personality interact with visual attention; however, the relationship between these two constitutional aspects of psychology remains unclear. To address this interplay between cognition and personality, we looked at how the Big Five personality traits relate to the spatial scope of attention, as indexed by the spatial distribution of Inhibition of Return (IOR). IOR is marked by a decrement in reaction time when a target appears at a cued location, more than 200 ms after that cue. As the cue/target distance increases there is a release from inhibition, providing a measure of the spatial distribution of IOR and reflecting the spatial scope of attention. The results presented here show personality does predict the distribution of IOR. Specifically, higher trait Openness is associated with a broader distribution of IOR and attention. This finding suggests there is an intimate connection between personality, particularly Openness, and the spatial allocation of attention.

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How Working Memory Capacity Affects Problem Solving

Cited by 97 publications

References 134 publications

Exploring the influence of basic cognitive skills on the relation between math performance and math anxiety

Exploring the influence of basic cognitive skills on the relation between math performance and math anxiety

Enclothed Cognition and Controlled Attention during Insight Problem-Solving

The scope of no return: Openness predicts the spatial distribution of Inhibition of Return

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