MATH ANXIETY

Blood pressure is rising. The heart starts to beat more rapidly. It feels as if every nerve is on edge. You probably can relate to this visceral reaction because at some point you’ve likely experienced anxiety.  Anxious feelings are a normal part of life. Luckily, for many people, they are a relatively small part. For some, though, bouts of anxiety can be so intense and occur so frequently that psychologists have come to recognise this as a clinical condition. 

               Math anxiety has been defined as "an inconceivable dread of mathematics that can interfere with manipulating numbers and solving mathematical problems within a variety of everyday life and academic situations" (Buckley & Ribordy, 1982, p. 1 ) 

                Math anxiety is worry or fear about solving math problems. It is not a distinct medical condition, but a way of describing anxiety that occurs in a specific situation.

               A person with math anxiety may feel anxious any time they have to use math skills, from classes at school to calculating a restaurant bill. For some, it may only manifest when they cannot use a calculator or write things down. For others, it may present even when they have access to these tools.