Mathematics on the blackboard! Emotional processing of math-related pictures in individuals with math anxiety

This study aimed to examine the emotional processing of math-related pictures in individuals with math anxiety (MA). Undergraduate participants with low (n = 32) and high (n = 29) MA assessed math-related pictures, along with pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant pictures, in terms of valence, arousal, and dominance. The high-MA group assessed math-related pictures with lower valence and dominance, and higher arousal, than neutral pictures. Indeed, they emotionally processed the math-related pictures similarly to unpleasant low-arousing images (e.g., pictures of heavily polluted environments). Both groups significantly differed only for the math-related pictures: the high-MA group scored lower in valence and dominance and higher in arousal compared to the low-MA group. These results indicate that math-related pictures are charged emotional cues, which moderately activate the defensive motivational system in individuals with MA. The present study contributes to our understanding of the threatening nature of images depicting math contents embedded in an ecological environment.