Statistics Anxiety
My sources of statistics anxiety as I begin this course are mainly located in my general lack of precise knowledge about how statistics work and are generated. As the University of Kansas (2019) points out, many students put off taking statistics courses in college because it is the last thing they want to do. There is a great deal of nervousness experienced by people when it comes to analyzing data using statistics and mathematical equations that, to be frank, they simply do not understand. The main problem is the fact that it requires so much covering of so much new ground that the student has never before in all his or her education ever really encountered. So it is very much like entering into foreign territory or being adrift at sea. That is what makes me nervous and gives me statistics anxiety.
Another key point that has been made is that “students who experience higher levels of statistics anxiety are assumed to be more likely to procrastinate learning, e.g., to postpone writing term papers, to study for examinations, or to keep up with the weekly readings” (Marcher, Papousek, Ruggeri & Paechter, 2015, p. 1116). What this finding indicates is that there is a way to combat statistics anxiety—and that is to meet the educative demands head-on. Don’t put of learning about the new subject because that will only make it worse. Get out of the habit of delaying doing assignments and procrastinating.
Because I have an uncomfortable feeling with respect to doing statistics, the way to minimize my anxiety moving forward is to do just as Marcher et al. (2015) recommend: get out of the habit of procrastinating (certainly a habit of mine). By keeping up with the studies and maintaining a positive attitude and open mind, I will be able to control my anxiety. It is all about just being ready to learn, being engaged, and staying on top of assignments instead of putting them off.
References
Macher, D., Papousek, I., Ruggeri, K., & Paechter, M. (2015). Statistics anxiety and performance: blessings in disguise. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1116.
University of Kansas. (2019). 'Statistics anxiety' is real, and new research suggests targeted ways to handle it. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190116111131.htm
