Math Anxiety – A Literature Review on Confounding Factors

Abstract

Math anxiety presents adverse psychological effects, inducing feelings of dread, panic, helplessness, and mental disorganization. Researchers hypothesize that feelings of anxiety are highly influential on a student's working memory during mathematical computations, coupled. with over-reliance on high-stakes diagnostic math exams which strengthen negative mindsets, ultimately presenting math as a high-risk subject. Researchers question why and how an individual develops math anxiety, though an agreed-upon answer has yet to be accepted. This purpose of this paper is to investigate global literature through themes commonly associated to a person’s math anxiety. The paper includes one’ innate predisposition to mathematical problem solving, the effects of one’s previous math performance, as well as environmental impacts such as education systems, familial relationships, and resources, as well as society-held viewpoints and clichés a student faces while approaching math. The paper concludes with tactics for a student’s success in alleviating math anxiety and draws conclusions on future work needed academia, which centers around data driven research on social stereotypes, the impacts of support in learning environments, and the impacts of math-anxiety in future education and career paths.