The neurocognitive mechanism underlying math avoidance among math anxious people

Abstract This study delves into the cognitive and neural underpinnings of math avoidance behavior in individuals with high math anxiety (HMA), a pattern that contributes to a detrimental cycle of limited practice, poor performance, heightened anxiety, and avoidance of math-related tasks. We employed a novel experimental paradigm where participants evaluated the economic benefits against the cognitive costs of engaging in a mathematical problem-solving task. Utilizing a general linear model and Hierarchical Drift Diffusion Model regression, we found that the math avoidance tendency in HMA is primarily driven by elevated task difficulty sensitivity, rather than by changes in reward sensitivity. Task difficulty sensitivity emerges as a significant mediator between math anxiety scores and the tendency to avoid math tasks. Neurologically, we pinpointed key networks involved in math avoidance: the ventral valuation network, including the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus, and the cognitive control network, comprising the precuneus, middle cingulate cortex, and temporo-parietal junction. In contrast to their low math anxiety counterparts, HMA individuals exhibit distinct brain activation within these networks. Furthermore, the functional connectivities among these regions effectively differentiate between high and low math anxiety statuses. The altered brain activation and functional connectivities in HMA among both brain networks indicated their deficits in both value processing and cognitive effort allocation. Additionally, activations in the hippocampus, middle cingulate cortex, and posterior insula mediate the relationship between math anxiety scores and the level of math avoidance, further underlining the intricate relationship between neural activity and behavior. Our study illuminates potential cognitive and neural mechanisms，which pave the way for a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with high math anxiety and may inform targeted interventions to mitigate math avoidance behaviors.