3 out of 5 students show 'math anxiety'

April 2, 2009 A new study shows 3 out of every 5 university students, regardless of their field of study, show symptoms of anxiety when it comes to dealing with math. The symptoms, according to researchers at the University of Granada, include tension, nervousness, worry, edginess, confusion, fear and mental block.

Women appear to suffer more than men. Sixty-two-percent of women studied showed symptoms, compared to 47 percent of men.

Researchers say an indirect result of "mathematical anxiety" is that some students end up avoiding studies and degrees related to math.