Why do people feel stress when learning new information?

Learning causes stress in some individuals for a variety of reasons. First, there are the social implications of trying to learn new information. Socially, people may feel that they will be judged or criticized for their inability to learn and/or retain new information. In this case, stress and anxiety can be due to fear of having to demonstrate one's learning and retention of information. 

Another reason people experience stress when trying to learn new information is the result of cognitive (in the brain) function. Learning any new information occurs in the brain. The brain's neurological system takes in information and various parts of the brain process the information which helps the learner understand the information. Depending on the information being learned it may require decision-making processing, may include motor skill processing (how to hit a ball with a base/softball bat), or learning may even include some level of emotional processing (think fight or flight). So, in some instances an individual's stress level may be elevated when their brain has difficulty processing (learning) new information or making connections between pieces of information.

A third reason people have stress when learning new information is when high risks are involved. Let's say you need to make a decision during your first time in battle; this is a high risk decision which can increase stress in trying to make the right decision. However, if you are playing a military video game, there is no risk or danger (low stress) and so people are more comfortable learning from making mistakes.

So, there are three reasons people experience stress with learning: 1) social implications, 2) difficulty in the brain's processing information, and 3) if there are high risks associated with learning.