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Updated: Jul 23, 2025
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Relationships between Anxiety, Attention, and Reading Comprehension in Children
Emily D Barnes1, Amie E Grills1, Sharon R Vaughn2
1Boston University.
Research Square
|July 18, 2023
Summary
Anxiety impacts children's reading comprehension differently; harm avoidance may help, while physical symptoms hinder it. Attentional control plays a key role in these effects, supporting Attentional Control Theory.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Research indicates a complex relationship between childhood anxiety and reading abilities.
- Some anxiety facets correlate positively with reading achievement, challenging simple negative associations.
- Attentional Control Theory proposes anxiety can impair or improve cognitive processes.
Conclusions:
- Findings support Attentional Control Theory by demonstrating anxiety's dual impact on reading.
- Attentional control is a crucial factor in understanding how anxiety affects reading comprehension.
- Further research is needed to establish causal mediation.
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