Dr. Molly Jameson, a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Northern Colorado, discusses the origins and impact of math anxiety, distinguishing it from general dislike for math. She explores how math anxiety can affect education and career choices, both in children and adults. The podcast also covers interventions for pre-service elementary teachers with high math anxiety, aiming to increase math interest and confidence.
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Quick takeaways
Math anxiety can stem from embarrassing or traumatic experiences in math class, authoritarian teaching techniques, and the increasing abstraction of math concepts in higher grades.
Gender differences exist in math anxiety, with women reporting higher levels of math anxiety compared to men due to internalization of societal stereotypes regarding women and math.
Deep dives
Math Anxiety: Causes and Characteristics
Math anxiety is not just a general dislike for math; it involves fear-based reactions. It shares characteristics with diagnosable anxiety disorders, including negative self-talk and behavioral avoidance. Math anxiety can stem from embarrassing or traumatic experiences in math class, authoritarian teaching techniques, and the increasing abstraction of math concepts in higher grades. It can affect individuals of any gender and even those who are proficient in math. The presence of math anxiety can hinder performance, but some individuals with math anxiety may still possess the foundational knowledge needed.
Gender Differences in Math Anxiety
Gender differences exist in math anxiety, with women reporting higher levels of math anxiety compared to men. This can be attributed to the internalization of societal stereotypes regarding women and math. Negative stereotypes about females' math ability lead to anxiety and lower confidence. Research has shown that women exhibit higher levels of math anxiety both in self-report measures and through implicit measures, which indicate automatic negative emotional reactions to math-related stimuli.
Implications and Interventions for Math Anxiety
Math anxiety affects various aspects of individuals' lives, including career choices and day-to-day tasks involving math. Parents can support their children by being mindful of their own math anxiety and using positive language about math. Providing opportunities for success in math and building self-efficacy are critical for individuals with math anxiety. Collaboration with school psychologists and accessing available resources can be beneficial. Math anxiety is just one type of academic anxiety, but interventions, such as pre-service teacher programs and considering the impact of readability in math materials, show promise in addressing math anxiety.
Math is essential to our everyday lives, from household budgeting to buying the right size rug for your room. But for people with math anxiety, any tasks involving math can cause dread and fear. Molly Jameson, PhD, of the University of Northern Colorado, talks about where math anxiety comes from, whether you can be good at math but still suffer from math anxiety, how it affects people’s lives, and what parents and teachers can do to help math-anxious kids overcome their fears and excel in math.