Anxiety and verbal learning in typically developing primary school children: Less efficient but equally effective

Abstract

Background Despite evidence that high levels of anxiety can impair Working Memory (WM) functioning, little is known about how anxiety is associated with classroom learning activities, which make high demands on verbal WM.

Aims To investigate the association between anxiety and learning on a task which makes high demands on verbal WM.

Sample Participants were 119 typically developing, Australian elementary school children (M age = 9.25 years; SD = 7.6 months).

Method In individual testing sessions, measures of trait anxiety (Spence Childhood Anxiety Scales) and state anxiety (Visual Analogue scale) were made. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, which makes similar demands on WM to many classroom activities, was administered.

Results Neither trait nor state anxiety alone was associated with mean recall across trials, however their interaction showed a significant effect. In children high on both measures of anxiety, learning followed a different trajectory. They learned more slowly on the first three trials than less anxious peers, then caught up on the remaining trials. While their mean recall scores across trials were significantly lower than those of less anxious peers, they retained as many words on the delayed learning trial.