The elements of statistical formulae that cause people to perceive them as difficult were studied, working from theoretical bases that involve cognitive load, motivational perception, and impasse driven learning. In a pilot study conducted to identify difficulties that novices perceive while learning statistical formulae, 22 students in an introductory statistics class participated as subjects. As novices, on the first day of class, students were asked to rate 60 formulae from statistics texts for confidence in their ability to learn to compute, apply, and understand each formula. Results suggest that something other than the difficulty of the concept influences student attitude. A protocol analysis was conducted for three adults with no training in statistics. Results indicate that confidence declines as the number of unfamiliar elements in a formula increases. Perceived difficulty increased as the amount of information to be processed increased, supporting the idea of cognitive overload. Five tables and two graphs present study findings. (Contains 13 references.) (SLD)