In a cross-sectional model, attention problems relate to both non-verbal and verbal math performance only indirectly, through working memory (and, for MR, reading)¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr3·q3
Currency · newest study 2017 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? In the structural equation models, attention problems had no direct paths to either NO or MR; their associations ran through WM regardless of task verbal load. The data are cross-sectional, so the paths cannot show the direction of cause. → Wu 2017
Evidence¶
Wu 2017¶
Wu, S. S., Chen, L., Battista, C., Watts, A. K. S., Willcutt, E. G., & Menon, V. (2017). Distinct influences of affective and cognitive factors on children's non-verbal and verbal mathematical abilities. Cognition, 166, 118-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2017.05.016
q3 · i? · associational · r3
Discussion of the SEM results in 330 children; in the models, attention showed significant negative paths to WM, and for MR an additional indirect path via reading achievement. The paths are modelled associations: the authors state that the cross-sectional design could not determine the direction of causality.
"in contrast to math anxiety, the effect of attention problems was fully mediated by WM regardless of the non-verbal or verbal nature of the math task. Consequently, attention problems did not have any direct paths to either NO or MR."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Attention — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
Related Claims¶
- Working memory fully mediates the effects of math anxiety and attention on children's non-verbal Numerical Operations — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Math anxiety partially mediates the relation between attention problems and both math outcomes — related
- Reading comprehension significantly predicts verbal Math Reasoning but not non-verbal Numerical Operations — related
- Math anxiety has both a direct negative effect and a WM-mediated indirect effect on children's verbal Math Reasoning, but only an indirect effect on Numerical Operations — related
- Mathematical metacognition statistically mediates the association between mathematics anxiety and children's word problem solving after controlling for IQ — related
- Verbal working memory directly and positively predicts math performance in grades 3 and 4 — related
- Lower-than-average math ability, low working memory capacity, susceptibility to public embarrassment, and a nonsupportive teacher are proposed risk factors for developing math anxiety — related
- Processing speed affects math achievement directly and both reading and math indirectly through working memory — related
- Higher working memory capacity was associated with better final test performance on advanced materials — related
- Cascade models in which IQ mediates the WM-to-achievement path fit comparably to, but not significantly better than, the original correlated models — related
- Academic attention problems do not mediate a long-term relationship between academic-media multitasking and achievement — related
- Children's understanding of whole number advances by one developmental level per additional unit of working memory capacity — related
- Text-structure knowledge in passages and word problems mediates acquisition and cross-domain transfer effects — related
- Mathematics anxiety for learning is indirectly related to seventh-grade mathematics achievement through reduced in-class attention — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
attention-problems-mediated-by-working-memory-math |
title |
In a cross-sectional model, attention problems relate to both non-verbal and verbal math performance only indirectly, through working memory (and, for MR, reading) |
description |
In a cross-sectional model, attention problems relate to both non-verbal and verbal math performance only indirectly, through working memory (and, for MR, reading) |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2017 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-17 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — wu-2017 |
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