Why Do People Get So Anxious About Maths
Why Do People Get So Anxious About Maths – Introduction
When French mathematician Laurent Schwartz was in high school, he started to worry that he wasn’t smart enough to solve maths problems. Maybe you know a similar feeling. You sit down to take a maths test, and you feel your heart beat faster and your palms start to sweat. You get butterflies in your stomach, and you can’t concentrate. This phenomenon is called maths anxiety, and if it happens to you, you’re not alone.
Researchers think about 20% of the population suffers from it. Some psychologists even consider it a diagnosable condition. But having mathematical anxiety doesn’t necessarily mean you’re bad at maths – not even close. Laurent Schwartz went on to win the Fields Medal, the highest award in mathematics. People might think that they’re anxious about maths because they’re bad at it, but it’s often the other way around.
They’re doing poorly in maths because they’re anxious about maths. Some psychologists think that’s because maths anxiety decreases a cognitive resource called working memory. That’s the short-term memory system that helps you organise the information you need to complete a task.
Should you be worried?
Worrying about being able to solve maths problems, or not doing well on a test, eats up working memory, leaving less of it available to tackle the maths itself. People can suddenly struggle with even basic maths skills, like arithmetic, that they’ve otherwise mastered.
Academic anxiety certainly isn’t limited to maths, but it does seem to happen much more frequently, and cause more harm in that subject. So why would that be? Researchers aren’t yet sure, but some studies suggest that the way children are exposed to maths by their parents and teachers play a large part. If parents talk about maths like something challenging and unfamiliar, children can internalise that.
Teachers with maths anxiety are also likely to spread it to their students. Pressure to solve problems quickly dials up stress even more. And in some cultures, being good at maths is a sign of being smart in general. When the stakes are that high, it’s not surprising that students are anxious.
Even Maryam Mirzakhani, an influential mathematician who was the first woman to win the Fields Medal, felt unconfident and lost interest in mathematics because her maths teacher in middle school didn’t think she was talented.
So if you experience mathematical anxiety, what can you do?
Relaxation techniques, like short breathing exercises, have improved test performance in students with maths anxiety. Writing down your worries can also help. This strategy may give you a chance to reevaluate a stressful experience, freeing up working memory. And if you have the chance, physical activity, like a brisk walk, deepens breathing and helps relieve muscle tension, preventing anxiety from building.
You can also use your knowledge about the brain to change your mindset. The brain is flexible, and the areas involved in maths skills can always grow and develop. This is a psychological principle called the growth mindset.
Thinking of yourself as someone who can grow and improve can actually help you grow and improve. If you’re a teacher or parent of young children, try being playful with maths and focusing on the creative aspects. That can build the numerical skills that help students approach maths with confidence later on.
Importantly, you should give children the time and space to work through their answers. And if you’re an administrator, make sure your teachers have the positive attitudes and mathematical confidence necessary to inspire confidence in all of their students. Also, don’t let anyone spread the myth that boys are innately better than girls at maths.
That is completely false. If you experience maths anxiety, it may not help to just know that maths anxiety exists. Or perhaps it’s reassuring to put a name to the problem. Regardless, if you take a look around yourself, the odds are good that you’ll see someone experiencing the same thing as you.
Just remember that the anxiety is not a reflection of your ability, but it is something you can conquer with time and awareness.