Mathematical trauma is a debilitating mental block that can limit people's access to life's paths, including school and career options. It manifests itself as anxiety or dread, a fear of making mistakes that can prevent people from engaging in activities that require mathematics. This fear can be caused by a variety of factors, and it degrades a person's numerical acumen in two ways. Firstly, it avoids mathematical compromises, whether in the classroom or in extracurricular activities.
Secondly, it reduces working memory when faced with timed math tests. I experienced this mathematical trauma firsthand. I started with third-grade mathematics at Khan Academy and felt so much pressure to do it quickly that I was paralyzed with fear. I managed to avoid mathematics after school, but since the 1990s I have tried from time to time to understand something about the subject, to no avail.
Of the studies analyzed, one found that 11 percent of university students showed mathematical trauma severe enough to receive counseling. Mathematics is a constant in the field of personal finance, and this fact can be harmful to those who suffer from mathematical trauma. Dr. Allen's proposal is that what is commonly referred to as math anxiety is probably best described as mathematical trauma.
Since mathematics was a “cumulative” subject, I quickly fell further and further behind, I didn't understand anything and began to get bad grades. I cheated on exams and copied my friends' homework and always managed to pass math classes with a D-grade point average. He found that students in the finance department have a higher level of math anxiety than other business students and that, as success in mathematics decreases, student anxiety increases. I worked hard in mathematics to the point of failing the eighth grade math exam and decided to take general level mathematics courses during high school, which ruined my career aspirations. But I am on my way to overcoming it and this information has confirmed my suspicions that my brain “shuts down” in the face of mathematics (especially timed mathematical problems) as a result of my previous learning and trauma. The only thing I can do is make changes.
I can see the coins floating in the air, making life easier for McDonald's and baseball cashiers. In order to build a mathematical memory, one must first understand how that math works. This requires taking small steps and going slowly while enjoying learning something new. It also requires patience and practice, as well as understanding one's own learning style and finding ways to work around it. With these steps in mind, anyone can overcome their mathematical trauma and gain access to life's paths.
