The body of the

Have you ever in the math teacher roll call to ask questions, or feel pressure and anxiety to do math homework?If so, then you probably already have called a ' 'Math anxiety"' symptoms.But you are not alone, many people in the face of feel extremely nervous when they have basic math problems.Math anxiety is not just nervous about math.' '紧张'' 是人们身处真正可怕的情形中时所产生的有用的反应；相反, ''焦虑'' 则可能没有实际意义。因此, 哪怕人们清楚地知道自己并没有理由去感到焦虑, 她/他仍然可能产生焦虑感。此外, 焦虑还会导致心脏狂跳、出汗等生理症状。有数学焦虑的人往往还认为自己数学很糟糕, 并因此讨厌数学。这些感受让她/他们回避那些必须解决数学问题的情境。有数学焦虑的儿童数学能力往往很差 [1].While adults have math anxiety is often beset with math problems in work and everyday life [2] - she/they were unlikely to science, technology, engineering and mathematics related professional interest, or willing to engage in these occupations, or success in these occupations.

Because math anxiety affects many people, and relates to whether the mathematical ability will be very bad, so understand math anxiety was originally when and how to produce, the math anxiety head what has changed, and how to help those who have the math anxiety, is particularly important.

Math anxiety was originally when and how to produce?

Until recently, scientists and educators thought math anxiety produce time, is in the children begin to learn the complex mathematics knowledge such as algebra, which means there's no complicated mathematical learning of young children won't produce math anxiety.However, recent studies have found that only six years old children can produce of math anxiety.A team of researchers to 154 first and second grade children about the similar 'in big math test before you will feel' problem [3].Asked children need to use your fingers to the mood on the location of a metric ruler, to illustrate how tight you will - metric ruler on the left is very tense expression, most the right side is a calm expression (Figure 1Is mood metric ruler diagram).After answered these questions, the children will have a measure her/their mathematical ability of the math test.The researchers found that nearly half the children said she/they doing math problems will feel a certain degree of tension [3].Moreover, the more math anxiety children get worse grades in the math exam.The research tells us that mathematics anxiety, mathematics anxiety and the connection between the mathematical ability, the children began to develop a very young age.

The researchers also interested in math anxiety could produce.Although studies have associated mathematics anxiety and mathematics capability [1], but so far, there has been no research can tell us who came first -- that is, we don't know what is bad at math caused the math anxiety, or math anxiety leads to bad math skills.

The researchers of math anxiety how the two ideas.One theory is that when very small children study number with difficulty, is more likely to produce at the beginning of the school mathematics anxiety.But this view has not been tested in children.Another view is that the child has experienced some social situations, thoughts and feelings are affected, the math anxiety -- that is, these children's emotions, opinions or behavior influenced by other people's words and actions.A study presented the status of this example, the study found that high degree of math anxiety of teachers and their students learning mathematics performance is often worse [by the end4].The study shows that the teacher's behavior may to a certain extent, affects the students' ability in mathematics.Although the researchers don't yet know, poor ability of mathematics and mathematics anxiety which came first, but there have been many important findings can prompt us, math anxiety was originally in the presence of when and how.

What changes have taken place in mind when people suffer from math anxiety?

In order to better understand how math anxiety, and to help those who have the math anxiety, we need to understand, people with math anxiety mind what happened in math.One view is the human brain can only handle a certain amount of information in each moment.Brain called ' 'Working memory"' system has enabled us to process information.Human memory system that we can at the same time memory and thinking about many things, and working memory is a part of it.This is a very important ability in math.For example, when the teacher read out a math problem, students need to remember the topic at the same time, the number in the thinking to solve the problem required steps, and write down the answers.The researchers think that when people feel anxious, she/they felt math anxiety, it may take up her/they part of the working memory, make she/they didn't have enough working memory is used to solve mathematical problems.If people don't feel so anxious, then maybe she/they could have anxiety to occupy this part of the working memory, is used to solve the problem of mathematics [3].Math anxiety, in other words, make the students feel fear, which occupies the original can be used to solve mathematical problems of working memory resources.Some research institutions are very support this view.Researchers have found that children with high levels of working memory capacity, than the low level of working memory capacity of children, their scores on the math test.

The researchers also tested respectively, mathematics anxiety level of high and low children in solving the difficult math problems, different parts of the brain work how ' ' ' '[5].The researchers asked a group of children aged 7 to 9 math, some of the children they have math anxiety, the researchers let the children at the same time you did (' 'Magnetic resonance imaging'(MRI) scan.MRI imaging using a technique called "'Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri)' 'technology, to measure people for specific tasks, all areas of the brain work how' ' ' '-'The degree of brain activation' '(Figure 2MRI imaging picture).If part of the brain more ' ' ' 'hard work, so this part of the brain regions activated degree also will be higher.The study found that compared with the low degree of math anxiety of children, high degree of math anxiety children 'amygdala activation' area of the brain more (work more ' ' ' ').In addition, in the brain of children has a high degree of math anxiety, working memory and mathematical operation area (' the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex 'and' top groove ") within the degree of activation, are lower than those of low level of math anxiety children (work less ' ' ' 'hard) [5].' '杏仁核'' 是大脑中下部的一个小小的杏仁状结构, 在感受和处理情绪——包括恐惧与焦虑——上很重要。背外侧前额叶皮质是大脑最前方的一大块区域, 参与处理许多复杂的行为, 包括计划与决策。顶内沟则是脑部接近顶端的一个脑区, 在做数学以及提供注意力方面很重要 （Figure 3Shows the location) in these regions.Therefore, on the whole, the research tells us that when children in dealing with math problems, the high degree of math anxiety of children activated brain regions associated with anxiety, children and those with low levels of math anxiety, is activated in areas of the brain to follow in solving math problems.

How we should help people with math anxiety?

A study of the causes of mathematics anxiety, as well as one of the main aims of mathematics anxiety can affect the brain, is looking for ways to help people with math anxiety, from the start to prevent the generation of math anxiety.The researchers created some tools to help people with math anxiety.These tools are referred to as'interventions"'.For example, research shows that before the exam to write down their thoughts and feelings, can let a person not so nervous.So the scientists designed a few interventions.She/they think if children to write down their thoughts and feelings, and so on in a math exam, these feelings will not occupy her/their working memory.As a result, the researchers in an intervention, let the children with mathematics anxiety to write down their concerns related to mathematics.The researchers found that when students write down after she/they concerns related to mathematics, she/their math test scores rose [6].Another group of researchers have found that there are math anxiety of college students if do some breathing exercises before the math exam to make yourself calm down, then she/they will be more calm during the test, and get better grades [7].These interventions study provides scientific evidence for us, guide us to find ways to help people with math anxiety.These studies to the math anxiety crowd great hope, tell them math anxiety can ease - this will last a lifetime.

conclusion

Since we know that people with math anxiety in math class, work and even daily life will face the challenge, since many different researchers have studies have been carried out to math anxiety.She/they are to continue to make progress in this field.Study of math anxiety, according to math anxiety in people was a little kid can produce, and with social situations related to the brain, such as working memory.A math anxiety of individuals in brain regions associated with negative emotions are more active, and in the brain regions associated with mathematical thinking less is activated.Researchers have begun to test may help to math anxiety crowd of intervention.About math anxiety, however, initially how to produce, only part of what made the people there will be a math anxiety, how can we help people with math anxiety, still have a lot of work needs to be done.For the moment, no matter whether you were through math anxiety, have to go and speak to your classmates and teachers math anxiety.With others to talk about your emotional response of mathematics is very important, it is to help you the first step to reduce the potential harm of math anxiety.

The vocabulary

Math Anxiety (Math Anxiety):writeIn the face of basic math problems produced extremely nervous tension.

Working Memory (Working Memory):writePart of the memory system, used in memory in the brain and maintain information, in activities that you can use these information.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging):writeUsing strong magnets for you brain images of the machine.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, fMRI):writeMRI imaging machine, which is used to measure when you add and subtract in different activities, such as which brain regions activated your tools.

Brain regions activated degree (Brain Activation):writeTo specify a particular brain regions in your task how ' ' ' 'hard work.If a brain work very ' ' ' ', then its brain regions activated degree will be higher.

Interventions (Intervention):writeGiving people the tools or get people to participate in activities, the goal is to help people or enhanced skills to improve.

Conflict of interest statement

The author statement, the study is in no may be interpreted as potential conflicts of interest under the condition of commercial or financial relationships.

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reference

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