Researchers normally look for a connection between math anxiety and math achievement in older students, disregarding the development of math anxiety in young students. They conducted a study where they explored the idea of whether or not, math anxiety correlates to young students’ achievement in math. There were a large number of second grade students analyzed in this study and they were given a measure of math achievement and working memory. Later on in the study, the students’ math anxiety was assessed by a new scale that the authors developed. They found a negative association between math anxiety and math achievement for children who were higher in working memory, but not lower in working memory. High working memory individuals are inclined to depend on working memory, concentrating on solution approaches. When using this approach it is likely that math anxiety will set in and take up the working capability of the working memory. This leaves the students focusing more on their math anxiety instead of the strategy they were using to solve the math problem The authors argue that initial identification and management of math anxieties is significant because early anxieties may grow and ultimately lead students with the highest potential or those with higher working memory may avoid math courses …show more content…
It can be described as a wave of terror washing over their bodies. Another sign of math anxiety is paranoia this is when students assume that they are the only persons that cannot accomplish a math problem successfully. Next is passive behavior; the students believe they will never comprehend or be comfortable with math, so they decide they won’t do anything about this issue. The last sign that children show when they are being affected by math anxiety is a lack of confidence. The students expect the feeling of powerlessness and assume they will never know the answer to the math problem. In coincidence with anticipating failure, the students will continuously guess their math assignment answers. They depend on other people in their life to assist them in completing simple math functions like balancing their checkbook (Symptoms and Causes of Math Anxiety,