1. High levels of anxiety negatively influence children’s academic performance (Mazzone, Ducci, Scoto, Passaniti, D'Arrigo, & Vitiello, 2007). Social anxiety is a form of anxiety that has not been studied in relation to academic performance (La Greca & Stone, 1993). Because girls are more dependent on social relationships than boys (Cross & Madson, 1997), threats to social relationships and resulting social anxiety may be more problematic on academic performance for girls. METHODRESULTS (CONT’) DISCUSSION INTRODUCTION Figure 1. Social Anxiety and Math Grade Figure 2. Social Anxiety and Reading/Writing Competency Figures 3. Social Anxiety and Science Competency Although there were no gender differences in the level of social anxiety, social anxiety negatively affected girls’ academic performance but generally did not relate to boys’ performance. These findings suggest that social factors may be important determinants of girls’ academic performance. Social anxiety affected girls’ overall academic performance, but more consistently affected girls’ performance in math and science, which are traditionally male subject areas, than reading/writing. Social anxiety in combination with a stereotype threat in male subject areas may have a compounding negative influence on girls’ academic performance. (1) Are there gender differences in academic performance (i.e., grades and competency)? H1: Girls will have higher grades and academic competency than boys in reading/writing and boys will be higher in math and science (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). (2) Does social anxiety influence academic performance? H2: Social anxiety will be negatively related to academic performance. (3) Do the effects of social anxiety on academic performance vary for girls and boys? H3: Gender differences will be found with the negative effect being stronger for girls than boys. Participants and Procedures 267 children from 40 fifth-grade classrooms in 13 schools (girls = 49%) participated. Primary teachers completed questionnaires about children in their classes. Teacher Measures Social anxiety (3-point scale; α =.83) Assessed whether the child feels uncomfortable when interacting with peers (adapted from La Greca & Stone, 1993) Grades (5-point scale; α =.89) (1) Language Arts (reading, writing, spelling), (2) Math, (3) Science Academic competency (7-point scale) Child’s competency in reading/writing (α =.87), math (α =.90), and science (α =.87) (adapted from Simpkins et al., 2006) Is Social Anxiety Limiting Children’s School Success? Hwaheun Kim, Dawn England, Julie Sallquist, Carol Lynn Martin, Laura D. Hanish, and Richard A. Fabes RESEARCH QUESTIONS Regression Analyses A series of regression analyses were conducted to examine the main effects of gender and social anxiety on grades and academic competency, as well as interactions (see Table 2). Main Effects There were significant effects of gender on reading/writing grades, a marginal effect on science grades, and a significant effect on reading/ writing competency, and significant negative effects of social anxiety on competency in math, science, and reading/writing. Gender as a moderator of social anxiety and academic performance: For girls: Social anxiety was negatively related to academic performance. The slopes for girls were significant for math grades. (Figure 1) The slopes for girls were significant for reading/writing competency. (Figure 2) The slopes for girls were significant for science competency. (Figure 3) For boys: No significant effects of social anxiety on academic performance. (Figures 1, 2, and 3) Table 2. Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Grades and Teacher Ratings of Competency From Children’s Sex and Social Anxiety Note. Girls are coded as 1, boys coded as 0. ** p <.01; * p <.05; † p <.10; n = 131 RESULTS Descriptive Analyses Table 1. Note. Items with a same superscript significantly differ across rows, p<.05, † indicates marginal significance. Grades Teacher Ratings of Competency Read/WritingMathScienceRead/WritingMathScience Predictor∆R 2 β β β β β β Step1. Child Sex.05.41**.01.15.01.19 †.04.48**.00 -.06.00.08 Step2. Social Anxiety.06 -.46**.04 -.38**.03 -.31**.07 -.72**.05 -.66**.05 -.52** Step3. Child Sex x Social Anxiety.01 -.31.02-.49*.00 -.14.01 -.57 †.01 -.50.02 -.72* Total R 2.11.06.05.12.06.07 RESULTS (CONT’) The CataLyST Project was funded by the T. Denny Sanford Foundation and the School of Social and Family Dynamics, ASU For further information, please send an email to Hwaheun Kim (hkim152@asu.edu)