The Relationship Between Anxiety and Processing Speed of Chinese Children with and Without Dyslexia – from the Perspective of Attentional Control Theory

Li Chih Wang, Duo Liu, Zhengye Xu, Hsu Chan Kuo, Ji Kang Chen

研究成果: Article同行評審

摘要

Background: There are inconsistent findings on the relations between processing speed and anxiety of Chinese children with dyslexia. Some hypotheses were tested to illustrate the possible moderation effect of attentional control among such a relations between processing speed and anxiety, but the nature of such moderation effect is still poorly defined and lacks direct examination. This study compared anxiety and processing speed between children with and without dyslexia, controlling for attentional control. We also examined the moderating effect of attentional control on the relations between anxiety and processing speed in both groups. Methods: A total of 150 Mandarin-speaking children in grades three to six were recruited from primary schools; half of the participants were typical students and did not meet the criteria for dyslexia, while the other half of the participants were diagnosed with dyslexia. They were tested individually and in small groups for the purpose of the present study. Results: Our results indicated that Chinese children with and without dyslexia showed different cognitive profiles. In typically developing children, attentional control significantly predicted processing speed, while anxiety didn’t. The interaction between anxiety and attentional control had no significant effect on processing speed. However, in children with dyslexia, both attentional control and anxiety, including their interaction, significantly predicted processing speed. Only dyslexic children with better attentional control showed a significant correlation between anxiety and processing speed. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both attentional control and anxiety in interventions designed for children with dyslexia. Such interventions could potentially improve cognitive processing and academic performance in this population. Conclusions: The study highlights the need to address both attentional control and anxiety in children with dyslexia, pointing to a connection between these factors and processing speed. It also calls for further research to better understand how anxiety and dyslexia are linked.

原文English
期刊Cognitive Therapy and Research
DOIs
出版狀態Accepted/In press - 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • 實驗與認知心理學
  • 臨床心理學

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