Mathematical development is an important topic of study, both from the point of view of understanding the nature of cognitive development and from a practical point of view. Large numbers of people experience difficulties in acquiring numeracy, which often persist into adulthood, with serious social and occupational consequences. At best, numeracy difficulties restrict career choices; at worst, they are associated with unemployment, low pay, and increased risk of a variety of negative outcomes, ranging from ill health to criminal convictions.

Some aspects of mathematics appear to be cognitively difficult for many people to acquire, and some people have severe specific mathematical learning disabilities (dyscalculia). However, not all mathematical disabilities result from cognitive difficulties. A substantial number of children and adults have mathematics anxiety, which may severely disrupt their mathematical learning and performance, both by causing avoidance of mathematical activities and by overloading and disrupting working memory during mathematical tasks. Other negative attitudes to mathematics are also common, especially in some societies, for example, that mathematics is unimportant or “not cool.” By contrast, some people have very positive attitudes and derive great enjoyment from mathematics. On the whole, studies suggest that attitudes to mathematics tend to deteriorate with age during childhood and adolescence, which has worrying implications for mathematical development and mathematics education.

It is important to understand children's attitudes to mathematics if we are both to understand the nature of mathematical development and to remove important barriers to learning and progress in this subject. Moreover, the study of attitudes to mathematics may offer important insights into the relationships between emotional and cognitive development.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate and enhance the understanding of the development of attitudes to mathematics, mathematics-related emotions, including but not restricted to mathematics anxiety, and the relationships between attitudes and emotions and mathematical development and learning. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Recent developments in research on the nature and causes of mathematics anxiety
• Methods of measuring attitudes to mathematics in children
• Relationships between affect and cognition in mathematical development
• Social, educational, and cultural influences on attitudes to mathematics
• The nature and development of self-efficacy in mathematics
• Positive attitudes to mathematics: the development of mathematics enjoyment
• Gender and the development of attitudes to mathematics
• The neuroscience of emotions related to mathematics
• Emotional correlates and consequences of mathematical disabilities in children

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