我们有必要害怕数学吗

并非人人都喜欢或懂得数学。自上学起，不少人就开始害怕这门科目，并且从未克服这种感觉。究竟是什么让我们对数字产生恐惧？怎样才能战胜这种心理？
 

How good are you at maths? Some people love the challenge of algebra¹ or enjoy working out number puzzles such as Sudoko. Maths is all around us, from working out how to split the bill after a meal, to calculating your household bills. But many dread² the moment when they have to deal with numbers and figures and feel a real sense of worry and confusion. It can seem daunting³, but this 'maths anxiety' is perfectly⁴ normal, and you're definitely not alone. And anyway, our worries and fears don't necessarily reflect our ability.

 

The problem really starts in childhood, at school. Research has found that maths teachers who are nervous about teaching the subject can pass on their anxiety to the pupils, and girls may be more likely to be affected⁵. The Programme for International Student Assessment⁶ found around 31% of 15 and 16-year-olds across 34 countries said they got very nervous doing maths problems, 33% said they got tense doing maths homework, and nearly 60% said they worried maths classes would be difficult. Shulamit Kahn, from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, told the BBC she believes giving students, particularly girls, good role models “is critical, especially at a young age". She thinks the key is to get people, especially women, who love teaching maths to younger children.

 

Writing for BBC Future, David Robson says "It's not clear why maths arouses so much fear compared to geography. But the fact that there's a right or wrong answer – there's no room for bluffing⁷ – might make you more worried about underperforming." And once we assume we're not a 'maths person', we avoid solving things that we probably could do.

 

Psychologists have been trying to work out why mental arithmetic can bring us out in a sweat. That seed of fear may come from many sources, but some suggest that articulating your fears can loosen their hold on you, and encourage children to see a maths test as a challenge, not a threat. Ideally, we need to think positively⁸ about maths and give it a second chance.

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