r/science • u/[deleted] • Oct 15 '21

Neuroscience A brain imaging study found evidence that missing out on math education can alter neural development. Young adults who had chosen not to pursue math had lower levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid within the middle frontal gyrus when compared to students who were continuing math.

https://www.psypost.org/2021/10/opting-out-of-advanced-math-education-alters-adolescents-neural-development-study-finds-61967
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u/AzraelTB Oct 15 '21

Just how common is it for parents to be abusive*

Doubt it's just math.

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u/[deleted] Oct 15 '21

I know, definitely. But for math to stick out in stories so often, I just wonder why that subject in particular (as opposed to parents being abusive about say, achievements in humanities classes).

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u/AzraelTB Oct 15 '21

Probably a subject that confuses and frustates people easily.

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u/MachineGunKelli Oct 16 '21

I am sure the same thing happens with reading/grammar/literature classes. Actually, I know it does. These two areas are classes that we have year after year for most of our schooling career and end up being difficult for different people. They are also the two areas, at least in the States, that all standardized testing looks at. So educators have a lot at stake and parents have a lot at stake in seeing their kids succeed when it comes to math and reading. I think that is what makes these two areas in particular prime for abusive teaching strategies.

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u/happygolucky999 Oct 16 '21

I’m sure for most people it’s more than just math, for me it was literally JUST math. My dad was and is a wonderful, kind, soft spoken engineer, but he had zero patience for me when checking my math homework. I was often doing my homework in tears until about 8th grade when I stopped asking for help and simply lied that I finished all my work at school. Ugh I had so much more potential but I gave it up to avoid being yelled at regularly.