@article{TEXTUAL,
      recid = {11020},
      author = {Choe, Kyoung Whan and Jenifer, Jalisha B. and Rozek,  Christopher S. and Berman, Marc G. and Beilock, Sian L.},
      title = {Calculated avoidance: Math anxiety predicts math avoidance  in effort-based decision-making},
      journal = {Science Advances},
      address = {2019-11-20},
      number = {TEXTUAL},
      abstract = {Math anxiety—negative feelings toward math—is hypothesized  to be associated with the avoidance of math-related  activities such as taking math courses and pursuing STEM  careers. However, there is little experimental evidence for  the math anxiety-avoidance link. Such evidence is important  for formulating how to break this relationship. We  hypothesize that math avoidance emerges when one perceives  the costs of effortful math engagement to outweigh its  benefits and that this perception depends on individual  differences in math anxiety. To test this hypothesis, we  developed an effort-based decision-making task in which  participants chose between solving easy, low-reward  problems and hard, high-reward problems in both math and  nonmath contexts. Higher levels of math anxiety were  associated with a tendency to select easier, low-reward  problems over harder, high-reward math (but not word)  problems. Addressing this robust math anxiety-avoidance  link has the potential to increase interest and success in  STEM fields.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/11020},
}