Capacity, inclination, and sensitivity for mathematics

The search for the determinants of mathematics performance has a long tradition in psychology, and gender-related differences in math performance and in self-concept of math ability have been underscored. Recently, researchers have argued that affective variables may indirectly influence, and thereby partially explain, math achievement. If true, affective variables may be one key to helping students overcome math limitations. However, affective information processing is not a unitary construct and instruments to measure the impact of various aspects of affective information processing on math performance are scarce. I describe studies focusing on the effect of cognitions and emotions on math performance and devote special attention to the detrimental effect of tension and discomfort and the beneficial effect of emotion control.