The association between reading anxiety and reading achievement: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Reading anxiety is the fear of reading and is theorized to be negatively associated with reading achievement. An inability to engage in reading due to either low reading achievement or high reading anxiety could be debilitating. Research on reading anxiety and its association with reading achievement was first explored in the 1980s but has been an area of rapidly increasing investigation in recent years. The goal of the present preregistered meta-analysis and systematic review was to determine the strength of the association between reading anxiety and reading achievement. Through systematic screening of the published and unpublished literature, 64 studies (totaling 180 effect sizes and 14,467 participants) were identified and included in the meta-analysis. The included studies were conducted in 14 countries and 11 languages. Analyses were performed using random-effects models, accounting for dependent effect sizes via robust variance estimation. A significant moderate negative average weighted correlation was found between reading anxiety and reading achievement (r = -.30, p < .001). Significant heterogeneity across effect sizes was found (Q = 996, p < .001). Learning disability status, gender, reading domain, and age were not significant moderators. The association between reading anxiety and reading achievement has implications for the fields of psychology and education, specifically in efforts to promote people's reading achievement while maintaining their socioemotional well-being. Future research using experimental and longitudinal designs is needed to determine the direction of any causal influences between reading anxiety and reading achievement. Such research would inform recommendations for supporting individuals struggling with reading anxiety and reading achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).