The Moderating Role of Anxiety in Predicting Academic Achievement in Children

The present study examined the relationship between anxiety and academic achievement in a sample of clinic-referred children. Specifically, the study investigated whether anxiety contributed to the prediction of academic achievement above and beyond the influence of IQ. Furthermore, the study explored whether anxiety moderated the already established relationship between IQ and academic achievement. In the present study, the WISC-III Verbal IQ, the RCMAS factors of physiological anxiety (i.e., emotionality) and worry/oversensitivity, and the WIAT total and composite achievement scores were examined to investigate these relationships. Results indicate that anxiety failed, for the most part, to moderate these relationships. The Moderating Role of Anxiety iii Table of Contents Page Abstract ……..………………………………………………………………….….. ii Table of Contents ……..…………………………………………………………… iii Tables and Figures……..…………………………………………………………… iv Introduction ……..………………………………………………………….………..1 Method……..………………………………………………………………………... 9 Participants……..…………………………………………………………………….9 Measures……..……………………………………………………………………...10 Procedures……..…………………………………………………………………… 11 Results ……..…………………………………………………………………….…..11 Relationship between Anxiety, IQ, and Academic Achievement……………….…..12 Prediction of Academic Achievement…………………………………….……........13 Post Hoc Analyses…………………………………………………………………..16 Summary of Results ………………………………………………………………...17 Discussion ……..……………………………………………………………………17 Prediction of Academic Achievement………………………………………………17 Relationship between Anxiety and Achievement…………………………………...17 Relationship between IQ and Academic Achievement……………………………..20 Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………………….26 Implications for Future Research……………………………………………………28 References……..…………………………………………………………………….29 Tables………………………………………………………………………………..37 List of Appendices…………………………………………………………………..54 Appendix A: Item Content for the Four Subscales of the RCMAS………………...55 Appendix B: Analysis of Data for the Underachieving Group……………………..57 Appendix C: Analysis of Data using Full Scale IQ…………………………….…...67 Appendix D: Curriculum Vitae……………………………………………………..77 The Moderating Role of Anxiety iv