title: Physiological threat responses predict number processing.
abstract: Being able to adequately process numbers is a key competency in everyday life. Yet, self-reported negative affective responses towards numbers are known to deteriorate numerical performance. Here, we investigated how physiological threat responses predict numerical performance. Physiological responses reflect whether individuals evaluate a task as exceeding or matching their resources and in turn experience either threat or challenge, which influences subsequent performance. We hypothesized that, the more individuals respond to a numerical task with physiological threat, the worse they would perform. Results of an experiment with cardiovascular indicators of threat/challenge corroborated this expectation. The findings thereby contribute to our understanding of the physiological mechanism underlying the influence of negative affective responses towards numbers on numerical performance.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Schleichstr. 6, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany. a.scholl@iwm-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scholl
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Schleichstr. 6, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany.|Department of Psychology and LEAD Graduate School, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Korbinian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scheepers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and LEAD Graduate School, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Nuerk
authors.affiliation: Leibniz-Institut fuer Wissensmedien, Schleichstr. 6, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany.|Department of Psychology and LEAD Graduate School, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sassenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult