Study Finds Girls Still Have More Math Anxiety

[Tennis]

A new study has found that more girls experience negative emotions about mathematics that results in “mathematics anxiety.”


“Analysis revealed that girls’ mathematics anxiety was not related to the level of their mothers’ engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, nor was it related to gender equality in the countries we studied.

“In fact, the gender difference in mathematics anxiety was larger in more gender-equal and developed countries. In more developed countries, boys’ and girls’ mathematics performance was higher and their mathematics anxiety was lower, but this pattern was stronger for boys than for girls.”

According to the study, in 59 percent of the countries analyzed, gender anxiety differences are more than twice the magnitude of gender differences in mathematics performance, indicating that factors other than performance are resulting in higher mathematics anxiety in girls than boys.

Altogether, the study highlights the complexity of the gender differences in mathematics performance and anxiety, Geary said.

The study also analyzed the possible role of parental views on the value and importance of mathematics for their daughters and sons. That analysis found that, in contrast with what many believe, parents in more developed countries placed a stronger emphasis on the mathematical development of their sons than their daughters. This was despite the fact that more developed countries actually have larger proportions of mothers working in the STEM sector.

“Policies to attract more girls and women into subjects such as computer science, physics, and engineering have largely failed,” said Dr. Gijsbert Stoet, a reader in psychology at the University of Glasgow and a co-author of the study.

“Gender equality is a key humanistic value in enlightened and developed societies, but our research shows that policymakers cannot rely on it as the sole factor in getting more girls into subjects like physics and computer science. It is fair to say that nobody knows what will actually attract more girls into these subjects. Policies and programs to change the gender balance in non-organic STEM subjects have just not worked.”

http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/04...ty/102186.html

Even in 2016, we still have such a long way to towards equality.

[Deleted]

I don't know. Many women can divide just fine when it comes down to it.

I WANT HALF!

[Deleted]

@Endus,

Please also ban your friends that break the rules.
This is a GENDER topic AGAIN from the same poster that made 3 posts yesterday on GENDER topics and yet he is still here breaking the "law" over and over.

Please be consistent in your ban's.

Gender topics are not allowed according to your rules since 2 months ago.

[Zogarth]

I don't know. Many women still know how much they are entitled to.

HALF!

But do they truly know how much "half" is, or do their (obviously) male lawyers make sure they get half?

[ls-]

Many girls dun find STEM-related studies attractive, so they choose to learn other things. How is it a problem? It's their own choice, nobody forbids them to study maths.

[Kalis]

Even in 2016, we still have such a long way to towards equality.

Indeed we do, but I do not think that deliberately inducing maths anxiety in girls is the way to equalise the sexes in education.

I would rather see the needs of boys in the education system taken into account, than intentionally hampering the girls, i.e. raise everyone up, not lower everyone.

[nextormento]

The study was published in PLOS ONE.

Why am I not surprised.
Here's the research paper, for those interested.

It's interesting that the article shows that focusing on equality is not working. Yet OP remarks there's a long way ahead towards equality.

[Deleted]

I don't get it

Surely I'm not the only one that reads from the article that greater equal gender representation in STEM isn't working and won't work (so probably isn't a worthwhile goal) because boys and girls are just different

Tennisace, surely you realise that the point of this article is right there in the conclusion:

“Gender equality is a key humanistic value in enlightened and developed societies, but our research shows that policymakers cannot rely on it as the sole factor in getting more girls into subjects like physics and computer science.

It is fair to say that nobody knows what will actually attract more girls into these subjects.

Policies and programs to change the gender balance in non-organic STEM subjects have just not worked.”

[ItachiZaku]

I get it now, women think there is a wage disparity, but that's due to their math anxiety producing false answers?

[Masoner]

http://psychcentral.com/news/2016/04...ty/102186.html

Even in 2016, we still have such a long way to towards equality.

there is no such thing as equality. You should go ahead and realize this and stop letting it bother you.

People are different, women and men are different in many ways. the sooner you and other people remember this the easier life will be.

When I was growing up, this was taught, that girls and boys were different in the way they thought and acted, today you are told something different.. THEN you see that they are different and people like you get confused.

[Malachi256]

I get it now, women think there is a wage disparity, but that's due to their math anxiety producing false answers?

And the increased anxiety from both math and wage disparity leads to increased obesity and peeing in the shower!

/everythingIneedtoknowIlearned@MMOC-OT

[Super Kami Dende]

Literally the only thing stopping more Women from being in STEM fields is Women.

My 2 closest female friends are both Scientists because they wanted to be Scientists so became Scientists.

Any Woman that complains there aren't enough Women in STEM fields that chose not to go into a STEM field is a hypocrite.

[Spectral]

Sure. They're not as good at math on average. On the SAT, boys score an average of 32 points higher and are almost twice as likely to get a perfect 800. No need for super complex explanations here - people that aren't as good at things tend to be more anxious about them.

[Gilbergrape]

I get it now, women think there is a wage disparity, but that's due to their math anxiety producing false answers?

If you ask them how they got this calculated, in most cases, you get no answer but a question: "so, you want women to get paid less?".
And eventually you will find the calculation that is something like:
"income of all working men / hours worked of all working men" vs. "income of all working women / hours worked of all working women".
This of course will lead to a disparity and women want this to change (if reasonable or not). Like, being a stay at home mom that has instant access to a high paying job, if she does so desire or not and change her mind. Wouldn't that be great. "So, don't come with some sciencey pseudo babble that I don't understand because you in the first place didn't make sure I understand it even though I want to have the rights not having to understand it in the first place, and also, it's your fault."

If you can give birth, the sky is the limit these days.

[The Whimsical Dwarf]

Math is scary. Quick lets lower standards in stem fields to accommodate because equality.

[Twix]

Let's get rid of math then! The patriarchy needs to stop making our women anxious!

[Spectral]

“Gender equality is a key humanistic value in enlightened and developed societies, but our research shows that policymakers cannot rely on it as the sole factor in getting more girls into subjects like physics and computer science. It is fair to say that nobody knows what will actually attract more girls into these subjects. Policies and programs to change the gender balance in non-organic STEM subjects have just not worked.”

Why do these people have such a burning hatred of female agency? Why aren't they able to take, "I'm not that interested" as an answer?

[Alydael]

Literally the only thing stopping more Women from being in STEM fields is Women.

My 2 closest female friends are both Scientists because they wanted to be Scientists so became Scientists.

Any Woman that complains there aren't enough Women in STEM fields that chose not to go into a STEM field is a hypocrite.

I always find the girls/math discussion funny. In my college group of friends, there were 5 math majors. 4 of them were girls. My female cousin has an undergrad and masters in math. It is not because of ability, I just think that math is not as socially attractive to girls.

[The Whimsical Dwarf]

Why do these people have such a burning hatred of female agency? Why aren't they able to take, "I'm not that interested" as an answer?

The same reason why these people take one look at me, a housewife and mother, and claim "internalized misogyny". It's not about choice with them it's about control.

[Deleted]

My wife is better at math than i am.

I mean when i ask for 1 sandwich, she makes 2.....

I don't understand the math behind that but i'm not going to complain.