When It's Test Time, Girls And Boys Are Equally Scared Of Math
Girls report more stereotype-driven anxiety about math than boys do, but all kids feel about equally bad about actually being in math class. You know how you can worry for weeks before a major test or performance, but once the big day arrives, everything becomes clear and calm? That's basically what one team of psychologists discovered happens to many girls before math tests and math class. Lots of studies have shown that girls and women are, on average, more anxious about math than boys and men are. Yet this new study finds that when it comes to showtime, that difference in anxiety vanishes. The finding offers more evidence to support the idea that girls' anxiety about math is fueled by stereotypes they've internalized, according to the research team. That's because people's beliefs have a strong effect on what kind of anxieties they habitually feel, which is what researchers usually capture in...