Chapter Two: Overcoming Math Anxiety

1395 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Mathematics in day to day life

Math in general makes people feel anxious or nervous. Chapter two: overcoming math anxiety touches on several important points; the definition of math anxiety, the explanation of rational emotive theory (RET), some of the most common irrational beliefs, types of self-talk and tips to reduce or deal with math anxiety. Math anxiety is an emotion problem that is unpleasant and interferes with learning or math performance, and causes a person to avoid any exposure to any kind of mathematics, such as problems, and math test. Dr. Ellis Albert, the founder of the rational emotive theory (RET), based the theory with three letters A, B, and C as a representation. The letter A, represents the acting event causing a disrupted behavior, the letter B stands for the irrational belief a person has about an outcome, and letter C …show more content…

Some of the irrational beliefs are as follow, the belief of being competent in everything, therefore a person might say, “I need to acquire skills or be talented at everything.” Another irrational belief, when things do not go my way, then things will end in chaos, my feelings and actions can not be changed due to past experiences, therefore, I am stuck with who I am. One more irrational belief is when something looks risky, I must worry, and be concerned, for example, when first leaning how to drive, a person might be concerned at all times of being hit or the possibility of hitting a car, the worry can make the event happen, in this case hitting or being hit by a car. Irrational beliefs place an unrealistic concept or expectations about one self, however, a way to change irrational beliefs is to be aware of the thoughts or internal dialogue going on, some internal dialogue might be, Catastrophizing: is an irrational belief of making a situation or event catastrophic. A student imagines that failing will be catastrophic and if so the student feels like a

Show More
Related

  • How Genuine is the Paradox of Irrationality?

    3782 Words  | 8 Pages

    The underlying paradox of irrationality, from which no theory can entirely escape, is this: if we explain it too well, we turn it into a concealed form of rationality; while if we assign incoherence too glibly, we merely compromise our ability to diagnose irrationality by withdrawing the background of rationality needed to justify any diagnosis at all. (1)

    Read More

  • Elvis

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    REBT therapists focus on having the clients think rationally. Irrational thought does not help a person reach goals (Bishop, 2004). Rational thought in REBT is not the general definition where it’s “logically valid”. Rather rational thought is cognition that is effective for an individual (Ellis, 1999). Irrational thinking causes emotion reasoning, low frustration levels, and automatic thinking the worst of a situation. However, rational thought is flexible and realistic which helps a person reach their goals (Bishop, 2004)

    Read More

  • Ethics Of Belief Analysis

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beliefs are imprinted in our consciousness that alters our perceptions, attitudes and how we react towards situations and moments of decisions, they perceive our realities. Everyone has a different imprints and perceive their beliefs from their personal experiences. Beliefs dictate how we react to life. Our beliefs can be altered and changed throughout the course of our lifetime

    Read More

  • Book Review: Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    I believe that if once People become independent and take their own decisions rationally, it would be a much better situation for that person to deal with his life. They would stop repeating the common mistakes that they happen to commit in their everyday lives. I believe that people are not born irrational, but the environmental influences forces them to think irrationally.

    Read More

  • Anxiety In Beowulf

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anxiety is a monster that most people have to deal with on a daily basis. Even though anxiety is not actually a monster it still torments thousands of people every day, leaving them weak and scared. Anxiety defined means “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune” defined by Dictionary.com. In the epic poem of Beowulf, one could say that the townspeople had anxiety when it came to Grendel because they feared what he could do to them.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ellis (1957, 1962) was one of the first to use Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) which is a type of cognitive therapy that focuses on an outcome of changing irrational beliefs into more rational ones. From this stemmed the ABC Technique of Irrational Beliefs (Simplypsychology.org, 2017). This is a three-step process in which to analyse the

    Read More

  • Techniques Utilized in Rational Emotive Behavior, Therapy (REBT)

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    REBT asserts that most of us subscribe to some if not all of the “11 irrational beliefs” which fuel our irrational self talk and negative responses to events. The 11 irrational beliefs are as follows: 1. that you need to have love and the approval of those that you love or admire; 2. the belief that you cannot fail at anything; 3. the idea that when someone else acts in a way that you find unacceptable you should damn them and see them as bad; 4. awfulizing, the idea that when something does not go the way you intended or thought it would go you have to see the situation as awful or terrible; 5. that we are unable to control or change how we feel about a situation due to external forces; 6. Catastrophizing- believing that when our life is not exactly the way we envisioned it is catastrophic; 7. a persons belief that it is safer to avoid the challenges of life rather than seek them out for fear of failure; 8. the irrational belief that you need to be dependant on someone other than yourself; 9. irrational belief that events in the past determine our future and will continue to do so; 10. The irrational idea of being highly upset over someone else’s problems; 11. lastly, the irrational belief tha...

    Read More

  • Functional Irrationality

    2961 Words  | 6 Pages

    The view that some forms of irrationality may serve a useful purpose is being increasingly entertained, despite the disquiet it elicits. The reason for the disquiet isn't difficult to discern, for if the view were made good it might threaten the unqualified normative primacy that rationality enjoys in the evaluation of thoughts, beliefs, intentions, decisions and actions. In terms of the predominant "rational explanation" model, reasons both generate and justify actions, and carrying out the dictates of reason is held up as an ideal. If it can be shown that under some circumstances or for certain types of action irrational elements or procedures would produce "all things considered" better results, this would put these deliberative "ideals" in question.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Cbt And Rebt

    1880 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy teaches the client that the common core of irrational belief or “musts” are common in negative emotions. To change the way we think and feel. Therapists assist the client in questioning the irrational belief or “must”. After questioning and challenging the negative thoughts. Effective and positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are recognized, and the “musts” are not the only way to

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Superstition In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    For example, a slave that Huckleberry and Tom talk to on their adventure, rather than used his problem solving skills to figure out that Huckleberry and Tom already knew, he automatically assumed it was witches. "Oh, it's de dad-blame' witches, sah..."(Twain, 237). If he had not believed in his superstition then, he would have figured out that something suspicious was up. Another time is when the slave is oblivious to what is going on when Huckleberry and Tom forgot to fasten the door and the dogs ended up getting into the house. “Mars Sid, you'll say I's a fool but if I din't b'lieve I see most a million dogs er devils, er some'n…”(Twain, 250). Once again, the slave blames it on the witches. Instead of thinking through the

    Read More

  • Rational Irrationality In The Stranger, By Albert Camus

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    “He (the magistrate) said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who turn their backs on him. That was his belief, and if he were ever to doubt it, his life would become meaningless”(69). This quote from The Stranger, by Albert Camus, expresses the notion of establishing logical reasons for the wrongdoings of others, when such reasons do not exist. One can see that society often judges people in a rational manner in the presence of an irrational event or purpose, basing their judgements on a single object or idea. In society, people often follow superstitions and beliefs that have developed permanently in the minds of ‘ordinary’ human beings while expecting everyone else to do the same.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Standardized Testing

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...occupying their minds with irrelevant things that do not pertain to the task at hand (Vassilaki, 2006). Thus, their energy is wasted when it could be used for task elaboration or to help improve their overall academic performance. Students with academic anxiety are self engrossed and lead to their own academic demise. Test anxiety does not only affect a students performance on a test, but Huberty (2009) asserts that test anxiety overtime tends to contribute to more common underachievement. He describes the consequences of constant test anxiety including lowered self-esteem, reduced effort, and loss of desire to complete school tasks. Students who have academic anxiety also have a higher risk of developing depression, and often feel deprived of confidence (Cunningham, 2008). Thus, academic anxiety can become extreme, and have negative effects of students’ well being.

    Read More

  • Math Problems Essay

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although it is indeed difficult to overcome a math problem, there are many remedies that can be used to help students succeed. Before getting to any specific math instruction, however, you should work at overcoming any math anxiety the student may have.

    Read More

  • Moral Relativism

    1958 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hollis, M., & Lukes, S. (1982). Apparently Irrational Beliefs.Rationality and relativism (pp. 149-180). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

    Read More

  • Mathematical Learning Disabilities Case Study

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    As early as the beginning many students experience a serious mathematical difficulties emotional strengths and weaknesses in pupils with Mathematical learning disabilities which became some pupils developing anxiety and demotivated behaviors. Some says that the effect of this difficulties which is Mathematical learning difficulties maybe avoidance of mathematical task and sometimes or in some cases, children decided to school dropout.

    Read More

More about Chapter Two: Overcoming Math Anxiety

Open Document