Evaluation and Time Constraint: Impact of Time Processing on Mathematical Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of a temporal assessment context on children’s mathematical performance and anxiety. Children aged 7- to 9-years-old were given mathematics tasks under three different assessment conditions: no time constraint (NoT), time constraint with an invisible timer (IT), and time constraint with visible timer (VT). Results showed that children performed worse under the time constraint condition when the timer was not visible to them. This supports the resource-based theory of time perception, which suggests that the processing of temporal information is a demanding cognitive task that consumes limited attention resources. Of greater interest, the use of a visible timer improved children’s cognitive efficiency without compromising performance compared to the unconstrained time condition. Additionally, the study found that anxiety levels were lower in the situation with a time constraint with a visible timer compared to the two other assessment contexts. These results suggest that a situation with a pre-established time constraint where children can manage their time could alleviate their anxiety and better cater to their needs during the assessment. Overall, these results underline the benefits of a visible timer in providing an organizational framework for children and helping them process time, thus avoiding draining their attentional resources.