Mind, Brain, and Math Anxiety

Math anxiety refers to the feelings of anxiety, tension, and negativity associated with mathematical calculations, or anticipating mathematics. Math anxiety is not only associated with negative experiences with math, but is also inversely related to math performance and achievement. Math anxiety is associated with avoidance of mathematics, such that highly math-anxious individuals not only avoid completing math problems, but also avoid math classes, majors, and quantitative careers. Avoidance is an impediment to success in an increasingly quantitative and technological society. Math anxiety provides an interesting perspective from which scientists can explore how cognition and affect come together within one’s educational experience. From the perspective of affective science, math anxiety finds its theoretical grounding in the relation between anxiety and working memory processing. Anxiety theories hypothesize that anxiety about mathematics negatively influences inhibition, disrupting working memory processes and resulting in deficits in processing efficiency of mathematics. In addition to negative emotional experiences and physiological sensations, math anxiety is associated with deficits in mathematical cognition and fundamental numerical skills. Math anxiety is also related to deficits in perception of numerical magnitude, counting, and simple arithmetic processes. Math anxiety represents the study of individual differences in emotional experiences, cognitive processes, and biological mechanisms. Math anxiety brings together the study of minds, brain processes, and educational outcomes. Addressing the negative association between anxiety and education represents an important challenge in improving mathematics education.