Definition
There are two different uses for the word “affect” in behavioral sciences. Often it is used as an overarching umbrella concept that covers attitudes, beliefs, motivation, emotions, and all other noncognitive aspects of human mind. In this entry, however, the word affect is used in a more narrow sense, referring to emotional states and traits. A more technical definition of emotions, states, and traits will follow later.
From Anxiety and Problem-Solving to Affective Systems
Mathematics is typically considered as the most objective and logical of academic disciplines. Yet, it has been widely acknowledged that mathematical thinking is not purely logical reasoning, but influenced much by affective features. The first systematic research agenda to study mathematics-related affect was initiated within social psychology in the 1970s, focusing on mathematics anxiety as a specific branch of anxiety research. Anxiety is an unpleasant emotion of fear, which is directed toward an...
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Hannula, M.S. (2019). Affect in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77487-9_174-5
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