An exploration of the impact of anxiety on cognitive and social functioning in children and adolescents

Abstract

Researchers have increasingly focused on the role of attentional control in understanding social and cognitive outcomes in anxiety. Attentional Control Theory (ACT; Eysenck et al., 2011) suggests that anxious individuals exert increased effort to achieve academic and social goals. Compared with non-anxious peers this process can be reflected in lowered processing efficiency (i.e., processing time is slowed down to ensure that goals are met). This thesis provides a systematic review of empirical research to explore evidence supporting the proposition that increased anxiety impacts processing on cognitive tasks via reduced processing efficiency in children and young people. In addition, it utilised this framework to explore known links between anxious affect and increased challenges with peer relationships. Specifically, it investigated whether reduced efficiency in the processing of cognitive (i.e., time taken to complete a picture naming task) and social information (i.e., longer durations to respond to peers in a social interaction task with shared goals) may provide some explanation for links between poor peer relationships and increased anxiety symptoms in childhood. 91 children aged 9-10 years took part in a sociometry task, providing a measure of peer acceptance. Of these children, N = 51 self-reported anxiety symptoms, completed measures of cognitive processing and took part in dyadic peer interactions. Mediation analysis found verbal cognitive processing speed mediated the relationship between social anxiety and academic attainment, as well as between social anxiety and social performance (i.e. number of inappropriate comments during peer interaction). No relationship was found between social anxiety and peer acceptance (as measured by sociometry). The results have implications for the prevention and intervention of difficulties with social functioning in anxiety that focus on the role of attention.

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ORCID for Hanna Kovshoff: orcid.org/0000-0001-6041-0376

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