Physiological threat responses predict number processing

Scholl, Annika; Moeller, Korbinian; Scheepers, Daan; Nuerk, Hans‐Christoph; Sassenberg, Kai

doi:10.1007/s00426-015-0719-0

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Additionally, it is important to note that these results do not reflect absolute activation of the network while participants anticipated the difficult math task but the relative stronger activation of these areas in anticipation of a difficult vs. an easier math task. Finally, the results on the neural level are substantiated by the results of the appraisal questionnaire that suggest that the respective emotions may have been negative indeed (see also [17] for physiological data).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…It is, however, also conceivable that the negative reactions simply reflect the fact that math is perceived as difficult. Interestingly, more difficult numerical tasks seem to elicit stronger negative emotions and physiological responses than easier numerical tasks (e.g., [16, 17]; see also [8] for neural correlates). Therefore, probably both, difficult tasks as well as numerical tasks are associated with negative feelings in general, so that the strongest emotional and physiological response to math should be observed when participants have to solve difficult mathematical tasks [8] in particular.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation

et al. 2019

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BackgroundDifficult cognitive tasks are often associated with negative feelings. This can be already the case for the mere anticipation of having to do a difficult task. For the case of difficult math tasks, it was recently suggested that such a negative emotional response may be exclusive to highly math-anxious individuals. However, it is also conceivable that negative emotional responses simply reflect that math is perceived as difficult. Here we investigated whether non-math-anxious individuals also experience negative emotional responses when anticipating to do difficult math tasks.MethodsWe compared brain activation following the presentation of a numerical cue indicating either difficult or easy upcoming proportion magnitude comparison tasks.ResultsComparable to previous results for highly math-anxious individuals we observed a network associated with negative emotions to be activated in non-math-anxious individuals when facing cues indicating a difficult upcoming task. Importantly, however, math anxiety scores did not predict the neural response. Furthermore, we observed activation in areas associated with processes of cognitive control areas such as anterior cingulate cortex, which were suggested to play a key role in emotion regulation.ConclusionActivation in the emotion processing network was observed when anticipating an upcoming difficult (math) task. However, this activation was not predicted by individual’ degree of math anxiety. Therefore, we suggest that negative emotional responses to difficult math tasks might be a rather common reaction not specific to math-anxious individuals. Whether or not this initial negative response impairs math performance, however, might depend on the ability to regulate those emotions effectively.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12993-019-0155-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation

et al. 2019

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“…Moreover, opportunity appears to be the likely default construal of power in Western cultures (Torelli & Shavitt, 2010). Yet, even within one culture, people can construe “standard” high power differently, depending on traits (e.g., Chen et al, 2001; Côté et al, 2011; Gordon & Chen, 2013) or situational factors (Scholl, Moeller, et al, 2017; Scholl, Sassenberg, et al, 2017). Taken together, if a person who receives power will understand this power as an opportunity or as a responsibility likely depends on the context and on this specific person.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the case of threat , this response is coupled with vasoconstriction (higher TPR)—which leads to stable, or slightly decreased CO, compared with baseline levels. Challenge, then, implies higher efficiency of the heart in transporting oxygenated blood than threat (Blascovich, 2008; Blascovich & Tomaka, 1996); it predicts better task performance and health (Blascovich, Seery, Mugridge, Norris, & Weisbuch, 2004; Scholl, Moeller, Scheepers, Nuerk, & Sassenberg, 2017; Seery, Weisbuch, Hetenyi, & Blascovich, 2010).…”

Section: How Social Power Affects Threat and Challengementioning

confidence: 99%

The Burden of Power: Construing Power as Responsibility (Rather Than as Opportunity) Alters Threat-Challenge Responses

Scholl

Wit²,

Ellemers

et al. 2018

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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Power usually lowers stress responses. In stressful situations, having high (vs. low) power heightens challenge and lowers threat. Yet, even power-holders may experience threat when becoming aware of the responsibility that accompanies their power. Power-holders can construe (i.e., understand) a high-power position primarily as opportunity to "make things happen" or as responsibility to "take care of things." Power-holders construing power as responsibility (rather than opportunity) may be more likely to experience demands-such as taking care of important decisions under their control-as outweighing their resources, resulting in less challenge and more threat. Four experiments with subjective and cardiovascular threat-challenge indicators support this. Going beyond prior work on structural aspects (e.g., power instability) that induce stress, we show that merely the way how power-holders construe their power can evoke stress. Specifically, we find that power construed as responsibility (vs. opportunity) is more likely to imply a "burden" for the power-holder.

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“…Thus, the cardiovascular response accompanying a challenge state is thought to reflect a more efficient mobilization and transportation of energy (Scheepers et al, 2012). Researchers often calculate a challenge-threat index (CTI; sometimes termed Threat-Challenge Index; see Scholl et al, 2017), which combines CO and TPR reactivity into one measure and highlights where an individual lies on the challenge and threat continuum (Hase et al, 2019).…”

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confidence: 99%

In-task auditory performance-related feedback promotes cardiovascular markers of a challenge state during a pressurized task

Crowe

Moore

Harris

et al. 2020

Anxiety, Stress, & Coping

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Background and Objectives: Individuals evaluate the demands and resources associated with a pressurized situation, which leads to distinct patterns of cardiovascular responses. While it is accepted that cognitive evaluations are updated throughout a pressurized situation, to date, cardiovascular markers have only been recorded immediately before, or averaged across, these situations. Thus, this study examined the influence of in-task performance-related feedback on cardiovascular markers of challenge and threat to explore fluctuations in these markers. Methods and Design: Forty participants completed a pressurized visual search task while cardiovascular markers of challenge and threat were recorded. During the task, participants received either positive or negative feedback via distinct auditory tones to induce a challenge or threat state. Following task completion, cardiovascular markers were recorded during a recovery phase. Results: Participants' cardiovascular responses changed across the experimental protocol. Specifically, while participants displayed a cardiovascular response more reflective of a challenge state following intask performance-related feedback, participants exhibited a response more akin to a threat state later during the recovery phase. Conclusions: In-task auditory performance-related feedback promoted cardiovascular markers of a challenge state. These markers fluctuated over the experiment, suggesting that they, and presumably underlying demand and resource evaluations, are relatively dynamic in nature.

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Physiological threat responses predict number processing

Cited by 14 publications

References 49 publications

Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation

Anticipation of difficult tasks: neural correlates of negative emotions and emotion regulation

The Burden of Power: Construing Power as Responsibility (Rather Than as Opportunity) Alters Threat-Challenge Responses

In-task auditory performance-related feedback promotes cardiovascular markers of a challenge state during a pressurized task

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