5/29/2017 NoSuchThingasaMathPersonTheNewYorkTimes

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WELL | FAMILY

NoSuchThingasaMathPerson
TheCheckup

ByPERRIKLASS,M.D. MAY15,2017

WhenIwroteaboutfendingoffmathanxietylastmonthIlearnedbothfromthe
expertsIinterviewedandfrompeopletowhomIhappenedtomentionthetopicthat
mathanxietyisfoundacrossalllinesofgender,ethnicityandeducational
background.Thereareplentyofmenandwomenoutthere,includingthehighly
educatedandtheprofessionallyaggressive(professorsandcorporatelawyers,say),
whoproudlyorshamefacedlywavethemathanxietyflag.Ohyes,thatsme,I
donthaveamathbrainthoughthewholeideaofamathbrainisfrownedonby
thosewhostudythistopic.

Thereisageneralassumptionthatwomenareaffectedmorethanmen,andthat
mathandmathanxietycontributetothebarriersthatkeepwomen
underrepresentedintheSTEMfields.Inmyownfamilialexperiment,Ihavetwo
sonsandadaughter,andthougheveryonemanagedO.K.inmath,thedaughterwas,
withoutquestion,themathkidthoughtheveryideaofmathkidsisconsidered
partoftheproblem.

Mydaughter,whomajoredinmathincollege,feelsthatthekeyisthatshe
attendedanallgirlsschoolfromfifthgradethrough12thgrade,andisntsureshe
wouldhavestayedwithmathifshedgonetoacoedschool.Ibelieveherthough
theresearchliteraturedoesntnecessarilysupporther,fromastatisticalpointof
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5/29/2017 NoSuchThingasaMathPersonTheNewYorkTimes

Thatsoneoftheinterestingthingsabouttryingtothinkaboutgirlsandmath:It
involvesquestioningsomeofyourassumptionsabouthowchildrenlearn,andabout
whatmakessometopicsharderorlessaccessibletolotsofpeople.Andthentrying
tolookatresearchthattellsyouthatyourownperceptionsandexperiencemaynot
bereliable.

Asfarasmathanxiety,manymanymoregirlsandwomenthanmenareanxious,
saidJoBoaler,aprofessorofmathematicseducationatStanford,andweknow
anxietyholdspeoplebacktherearestillmessagesouttherethatmathisforboys
andnotforgirls.Someoftheanxiety,shesaid,maybetransmittedbyelementary
schoolteachers,whoarelikelytobefemale,andareoftenthemselvesanxiousabout
math.Weknowthatgirlsidentifywiththeirelementaryteachers,shesaid,andare
morelikelythanboystobeaffectedbytheteachersmathanxiety,ifitispresent,
contributingtowhatshecalledthecyclebywhichthiscontinues.

SianBeilock,aprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofChicago,pointedto
thepressurecreatedbythestereotypethatgirlsarentgoodatmath.Theycomein
feelingpressurethatcouldaffecttheirperformance,shesaid.Thatcanrobpeople
ofthecognitivehorsepowertheywouldhavetoperformattheirbest.Andthiscan
beworstforthebeststudents,shesaid.Girlswhocomeinwiththemostabilityto
workatahighlevelaremostimpacted.

AndreiCimpian,anassociateprofessorofpsychologyatNewYorkUniversity
whostudieschildrensideasongenderandability,saidthatthereislotsof
variabilityinthedistributionofmenandwomenacrossfieldsinthesciences,social
sciencesandhumanities.Onekey,hesaid,iswhetheritisperceivedthatinorderto
workinacertainfield,apersonneedstobebrilliant,tohave,even,asparkof
genius.Whenwesurveyedacademicsacrossdisciplines,infieldswhosemembers
said,yes,thereissomethinginnate,inborn,requiredforsuccess,hesaid,itwas
particularlyinthosefieldswherewesawwomenunderrepresented,alsoAfrican
Americans.

Formaththroughhighschool,thereisntanythinginthecurriculumthatany
typicallydevelopingchildshouldntbeabletograsp,hesaid.Theminutewestart
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5/29/2017 NoSuchThingasaMathPersonTheNewYorkTimes

talkingaboutwhothebrilliantonesare,itsveryeasytogofromindividual
differencestogroupdifferences.

Andwhataboutthiswholeideaofmathbrainandmathkid?Metaphorslike
mathbraincancreatetheirownreality,Dr.Cimpianwarned.Weallfallona
certaincontinuum,hesaid.

Dr.Boaler,theauthorofthebookMathematicalMindsets,said:Themessage
toallkids,girlsandboys,istheresnosuchthingasamathperson.

Andwhataboutmydaughtersbeliefthatsheowesalottobeinginmathclasses
withnoboysinthem?ErinPahlke,anassistantprofessorofpsychologyatWhitman
CollegeinWallaWalla,Wash.,said,oftenthegirlsinthesinglesexschoolshave
highermathachievement,betterattitudes,lowerlevelsofmathanxiety,theyoften
havebetterhopesforthefutureofwantingtotakehigherlevelmath,shesaid.You
say,thisisincredible,singlesexschoolingistheanswer!

Butshewasthefirstauthorofa2014metaanalysisrepresentingthetestingof
1.6millionstudentsfrom21countriesthatfoundthatamongthehighquality
studies,thedifferencescouldbeexplainedbylookingatsuchfactorsasthedifferent
socioeconomicstatusofthosechoosingsinglesexeducation,andatthepretest
scoresbeforethegirlsenteredthesinglesexschoolsaswellasmeasuresofschool
qualityandresources.

Dr.Pahlkesaidthatpeopletellherallthetime,mydaughterormyniecewent
toasinglesexschoolanditwasincredibleIwouldsaytothem,yes,Iagree,you
doseethat,butthequestioniswhetherornotitsduetothesinglesex
environment.Instead,shesaid,itsduetobeingaroundgirlswhocameinwith
highermathscores,orteacherqualitydifferences,thatswhattheresearch
suggests.

Shesaidthepopularideathatboysandgirlslearndifferentlyisnotsupported
bytheneuroscientificliterature.

Mostofthethingsthatparentsandkidsbelieveaboutmathlearningare
9wrong,saidDr.Boaler,whoisthecofounderofYoucubed,awebsitethatarguesfor
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5/29/2017 NoSuchThingasaMathPersonTheNewYorkTimes

arevolutioninmathteachingforallchildren,andoffersresourcestoteachers,
studentsandparents.Infact,maybewhateveryoneneedsgirlsandboysbothis
adifferentkindofmathteaching,withmuchlessemphasisontimedtests,andmore
attentiontoteachingmathasavisualsubject,andasaplaceforcreativity.

Thelovelythingiswhenyouchangematheducationandmakeitmoreabout
deepconceptualunderstanding,thegenderdifferencesdisappear,Dr.Boalersaid.
Boysandgirlsbothdowell.

2017TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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