Do math problems make you anxious? Recent research has revealed that the mere prospect of a mathematical problem can cause pain centers to ignite in brains with a phobia of numbers. A study conducted by psychologists Ian Lyon and Sian Beilock at the University of Chicago measured the neural activity of 28 adults, 14 of whom had been identified with high math anxiety and 14 with low math anxiety. The hypothesis was that the expectation of having to do calculations would be what would generate anxiety, which in turn would generate pain. Each group was asked a series of verbal and mathematical problems while an MRI machine scanned their brain activity.
Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that it was the anticipation of having to do math, and not doing the math itself, that seemed like a pain in the brain. Beilock's work, with support from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education, has also shown that math anxiety can begin as early as the first grade and that elementary school teachers often transmit their math anxiety to their students. In the case of HMAs, their ability to perform more complex mathematical problems was more affected the higher their score in the SMARS evaluation; there was no such correlation when it came to verbal problems. Since what seems to attract people most is the anticipation of mathematics, and not the sums themselves, it would be worth investigating whether there is a different way of teaching mathematics in schools.
Previous research has shown that people who are very anxious about mathematics tend to avoid situations related to mathematics and even careers related to mathematics. For the study, students worked with 14 adults who demonstrated math anxiety based on their answers to a series of questions about mathematics. The researchers recruited 14 people with high mathematical anxiety and asked them to solve some algebra problems while an MRI scanner looked at their brains.
