Math anxiety and executive function: Neural influences of task switching on arithmetic processing

According to a prominent model of executive function (Miyake et al., 2000; Miyake & Friedman, 2012; Friedman & Miyake, 2017), the diverse set of cognitive mechanisms and behaviors that make up this construct can be characterized by shifting, updating of information in working memory (WM), and an additional latent factor that is related to these two domains. In in addition to not being wholly separable from shifting and updating, this latent factor is thought to represent aspects of inhibition. [...]in this neuroimaging study, we focused on two separable types of executive function (EF) demands-shifting, as manipulated by our task switching (TS) paradigm, and updating, manipulated here by varying the task-relevant WM load-in order to assess their associations with math calculation in MA. To examine the effect of each EF component during mathematical calculation, we explored brain activity while we manipulated EF demands as follows: 1) task switching between variable length blocks of math trials and word-based analogy trials: switching back and forth between task sets requires adopting a new set and initially increases demand on EF resources when one switches to a new task (Friedman & Miyake, 2017; Liefooghe, Barrouillet, Vandierendonck, & Camos, 2008; Miyake & Friedman, 2012), and 2) WM load: increasing the number of arithmetic computations in an orderof-operations task, which increases updating demands as the number of operands increases (Ashcraft & Krause, 2007). Overall, MA is related to executive function and working memory resources through a deficient inhibitory mechanism, such that taskirrelevant anxious thoughts disrupt cognitive resources (DeCaro etal., 2010; Hopko etal., 1998). [...]increased MA was associated with increased attention to distractors and lessened ability to devote WM resources away from distracting negative thoughts (Hopko et al., 1998).