Is concentration an indirect link between social anxiety and educational achievement in adolescents?

Eleanor Leigh,Kenny Chiu,David M Clark,Alison L Calear

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0249952

Eleanor Leigh, Kenny Chiu + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249952

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: May 14, 2021
Citations: 14	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Oxford, King's College London

Abstract

Social anxiety is associated with reduced educational achievement. Given that concentration is a predictor of educational achievement, and social anxiety symptoms are associated with reduced concentration in class, this prospective study examined the possibility that social anxiety may impair educational achievement through reduced classroom concentration. A sample of 509 participants (53.8% female; M age: 12.77 years [SD = 0.81]) recruited from secondary schools completed questionnaires assessing social anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and concentration in class. Educational achievement was assessed by internal grades within schools. An indirect effect of social anxiety on later educational achievement via concentration was observed, over and above baseline achievement and depression symptoms; adolescents with higher levels of social anxiety tend to have more difficulties concentrating in class, which in turn is associated with poorer academic outcomes. Findings underscore the challenges socially anxious adolescents will face trying to learn in school, and the need for education providers and clinicians to consider the effect of social anxiety symptoms on concentration and learning.

Highlights

Educational achievement is an important determinant of life outcomes, including future occupational status [1], physical health, and even life expectancy [2]
Such symptoms are common and typically first occur in early adolescence [8], and some studies have observed that social anxiety symptoms are associated with reduced educational achievement (e.g. [9]), the mechanisms by which they interfere with young peoples’ learning abilities are unclear
Self-reported concentration did not differ by gender, girls showed greater improvements in educational achievement over time compared to boys

Summary

Introduction

Educational achievement is an important determinant of life outcomes, including future occupational status [1], physical health, and even life expectancy [2]. One further area of research that has received relatively little attention is the possible impact of social anxiety symptoms on educational achievement [7]. Such symptoms are common and typically first occur in early adolescence [8], and some studies have observed that social anxiety symptoms are associated with reduced educational achievement It has been suggested that concentration may be one such mechanism [10]: concentration is a predictor of educational.

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