Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

The interplay between ego-resiliency, math anxiety and working memory in math achievement

Bibliographic Data

ID21533006
AuthorsEmilie Doz (0000-0003-3918-8728, University of Trieste), Alessandro Cuder (0000-0001-7767-4757, University of Trieste), Sandra Pellizzoni (0000-0002-4424-0925, University of Trieste), Federica Granello (0009-0006-4473-3670, University of Trieste), Maria Chiara Passolunghi (0000-0001-6713-866X, University of Trieste, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume88
Issue8
Pages2401-2415
Publication date2024-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0340-0727 • E-ISSN: 1430-2772
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s00426-024-01995-0
PMID38940822
OpenAlexW4400130391
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited98

Previous research has suggested that math anxiety may contribute to poor math performance by interfering with working memory. However, only a limited number of studies investigated the mediating role of working memory in the math anxiety-math performance link in school-aged children. Unlike math anxiety, ego-resiliency is a personality resource that promotes the management of challenges and has been positively associated with math performance and negatively with anxiety. Nevertheless, there is still limited understanding regarding the specific role of ego-resiliency in math learning and how it relates to math anxiety. This study aimed to investigate conjunctly the interplay between primary school children’s ego-resiliency, math anxiety, working memory, and performance on two different math tasks (i.e., arithmetic task and word problem-solving task), after controlling for general anxiety and age. The study involved 185 Italian children from grades 3 to 5. Serial multi-mediational analyses revealed that: (1) ego-resiliency has a positive indirect effect on math achievement through two paths - math anxiety, and math anxiety and working memory; (2) the study replicated previous findings showing that working memory partially mediated the relationship between math anxiety and math performance; (3) similar patterns of results were found for both math skills. The study identifies ego-resiliency as a possible protective factor in the development of math anxiety and suggests that ego-resiliency could be worth considering when designing interventions aimed at reducing negative emotions towards mathematics

Anxiety · Cognition · Developmental psychology · Id, ego and super-ego · Mathematical anxiety · Working memory · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness · Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology

  • Creative potential as a bridge between mathematics and the real-life

    Open Access•Emilie Doz, Martina Taruscia et al.•Thinking Skills and Creativity•2026

  • Peer support as a buffer

    Open Access•Chao Wang, Xin-yue Li et al.•Humanities and Social Sciences…•2025

  • Students’ Errors and Learning Obstacles in Solving Algebraic Word Problems

    Open Access•Marfi Ario, Suhendra Suhendra et al.•Education Sciences•2025

  • Fostering Reflection and Attention to Enhance Struggling Students’ Mathematical Problem Solving—A Case Study

    Open Access•Tikva Ovadiya•Education Sciences•2025

  • From numbers to nerves

    Open Access•Syed Azman Syed Ismail, Siti Mistima Maat et al.•Acta Psychologica•2025

  • Impact of math anxiety and general anxiety on academic performance among undergraduates in Bangladesh

    Open Access•Md Kamrul Hossain, Md Monir Hossain Shimul et al.•Acta Psychologica•2025

  • A meta-analysis of mathematics and working memory

    Open Access•Peng Peng, Jessica Namkung et al.•Journal of Educational Psychology•2016

  • Working Memory

    Alan Baddeley, Alan D Baddeley et al.•Psychology of Learning and…•1974

  • The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (Amas)

    Open Access•Derek R Hopko, Rajan Mahadevan et al.•Assessment•2003

  • Spotlight on math anxiety

    Open Access•Silke Luttenberger, Sigrid Hackl‐Wimmer et al.•Psychology Research and Behavior…•2018

  • Psychological Resilience

    Dawn Fletcher, David Fletcher et al.•European Psychologist•2013

  • Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety

    Open Access•Mark H Ashcraft, Jeremy A Krause•Psychonomic Bulletin & Review•2007

  • The episodic buffer

    Open Access•Alan Baddeley•Trends in Cognitive Sciences•2000

  • Anxiety and Performance

    Michael W Eysenck, Manuel G Calvo•Cognition & Emotion•1992

  • The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale

    Frank C Richardson, Richard M Suinn•Journal of Counseling Psychology•1972

  • Gender differences in mathematics anxiety and the relation to mathematics performance while controlling for test anxiety

    Open Access•Amy Devine, Kayleigh Fawcett et al.•Behavioral and Brain Functions•2012

  • The Relationship Between Math Anxiety and Math Performance

    Open Access•Jing Zhang, Nan Zhao et al.•Frontiers in Psychology•2019

  • Math Anxiety

    Open Access•Mark H Ashcraft•Current Directions in Psychological…•2002

  • Mathematics Anxiety and the Affective Drop in Performance

    Open Access•Mark H Ashcraft, Alex M Moore•Journal of Psychoeducational…•2009

  • Mathematics Anxiety

    Open Access•Ann Dowker, Amar Sarkar et al.•Frontiers in Psychology•2016

  • The relationships among working memory, math anxiety, and performance.

    Mark H Ashcraft, Elizabeth Kirk et al.•Journal of Experimental…•2001

  • Academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates

    Open Access•Andrew J Martins, Herbert W Marsh•Psychology in the Schools•2006

  • Academic Resilience in Mathematics among Poor and Minority Students

    Geoffrey D Borman, Laura Overman et al.•The Elementary School Journal•2004

  • Math Anxiety, Working Memory, and Math Achievement in Early Elementary School

    Gabriel Ramirez, Gerardo Ramirez et al.•Journal of Cognition and…•2013

  • Arithmetic Word Problems Revisited

    Open Access•Gonzalo Duque de Blas, Isabel Gómez-Veiga et al.•Education Sciences•2021

  • The relationship betweens math anxiety and arithmetic reasoning

    Open Access•Marija Živković, Sandra Pellizzoni et al.•Current Psychology•2023

  • The impact of mathematics anxiety on self-regulated learning and mathematical literacy

    Open Access•Florence Gabriel, Sarah Buckley et al.•Australian Journal of Education•2020

  • General academic anxiety and math anxiety in primary school. The impact of math anxiety on calculation skills

    Open Access•Elena Commodari, Valentina Lucia La Rosa•Acta Psychologica•2021

  • The link between math anxiety and performance does not depend on working memory

    Open Access•Nachshon Korem, Lital Daches Cohen et al.•Consciousness and Cognition•2022

  • The Role of Ego-Resiliency as Mediator of the Longitudinal Relationship between Family Socio-Economic Status and School Grades

    Open Access•G Alessandri, Antonio Zuffianò et al.•Journal of Youth and Adolescence•2017

  • Egocentrism and ego resiliency

    Per F Gjerde, Jack Block et al.•Journal of Personality and Social…•1986

  • Venturing a 30-year longitudinal study

    Jack Block, Jeanne H Block•American Psychologist•2006

  • Ordinary magic

    Ann S Masten•American Psychologist•2001

  • Whether verbal and visuospatial working memory play different roles in pupil's mathematical abilities

    Open Access•Zhanhong Liang, Peiqi Dong et al.•British Journal of Educational…•2022

  • Math anxiety and math performance in children

    Open Access•M José Justicia‐galiano, M Eva Martín‐puga et al.•British Journal of Educational…•2017

  • A meta-analysis of the relation between math anxiety and math achievement

    Open Access•C Barroso, Colleen M Ganley et al.•Psychological Bulletin•2021

Unique citing works6
Citations per year6
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 6
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae