Does Daytime Sleepiness Moderate the Relationship Between Working Memory and Academic Performance in Schoolchildren?...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Academic performance is influenced by cognitive abilities and physiological factors like sleepiness.
• The interplay between cognitive function and sleepiness in academic achievement is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if daytime sleepiness moderates the relationship between working memory and academic achievement in adolescents.
• To determine the independent and interactive effects of cognitive capacity and sleepiness on school performance.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 601 schoolchildren aged 11-17 years.
• Assessment of visuospatial working memory using a digital task.
• Measurement of daytime sleepiness via the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS) and academic performance through official grades.

Main Results:

• Working memory and daytime sleepiness were independent predictors of academic performance in the full sample.
• No overall moderation effect of sleepiness on the working memory-academic performance link was found.
• Subgroup analysis indicated working memory predicted outcomes only in students with normal sleepiness; in high-sleepiness students, sleepiness became the dominant predictor.

Conclusions:

• Elevated daytime sleepiness can negate the benefits of strong working memory on academic achievement.
• Assessing both cognitive skills and physiological factors like sleepiness is crucial for evaluating students.
• Sleep-focused interventions could enhance learning, particularly during adolescence.