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Why do people get so anxious about math? - Orly Rubinsten

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Have you ever sat down to take a math test and immediately felt your heart beat faster and your palms start to sweat? This is called math anxiety, and if it happens to you, you’re not alone: Researchers think about 20 percent of the population suffers from it. So what’s going on? And can it be fixed? Orly Rubinsten explores the current research and suggests ways to increase math performance.


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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Orly Rubinsten
  • Director Jelena Oroz
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Art Director Jelena Oroz
  • Animator Ira Bulić
  • Producer Draško Ivezić
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Still wondering how you can improve your math skills? This TEDx Talk by Jo Boaler and this article will provide some ideas for you and might just change your outlook.

We still have a lot to learn about the human brain. This site: Changing Brains has many resources and tons of interesting information about brain development. 

Learn about the many women in mathematics here. Next, meet Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the highest math honor in the world. Meet the First Woman to Win Math’s Most Prestigious Prize! describes her amazing accomplishment. Learn more about her excitement for math by reading this: Maryam Mirzakhani: 'The more I spent time on maths, the more excited I got.'

Learn more about what happens in your brain with this article: What Your Brain Looks Like When It Solves a Math Problem.

Check out some other TED-Ed that involve math. These lessons can provide background, a challenge, or help create more links between mathematics and other subject areas.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Orly Rubinsten
  • Director Jelena Oroz
  • Script Editor Eleanor Nelsen
  • Art Director Jelena Oroz
  • Animator Ira Bulić
  • Producer Draško Ivezić
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen

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