Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions

IntroductionSince early research on Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), their relationship with emotional issues have been recognized, although emotional factors have received less attention compared to the cognitive processes related with academic achievement.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate m...

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Main Authors: Rachele Lievore, Ramona Cardillo, Irene Cristina Mammarella
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1536192/full
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author Rachele Lievore
Ramona Cardillo
Ramona Cardillo
Irene Cristina Mammarella
author_facet Rachele Lievore
Ramona Cardillo
Ramona Cardillo
Irene Cristina Mammarella
author_sort Rachele Lievore
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionSince early research on Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), their relationship with emotional issues have been recognized, although emotional factors have received less attention compared to the cognitive processes related with academic achievement.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate mechanisms that may increase vulnerability to generalized and social anxiety in youth with SLD, compared to their non-diagnosed peers. We examined cognitive factors (inhibitory control), personality traits (self-oriented, socially prescribed perfectionism), and self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt). The sample included 134 individuals aged 10 to 16, divided into two groups: 67 with SLD and 67 without diagnoses, matched by age, sex, and IQ. Participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, perfectionism, and selfconscious emotions, alongside an inhibitory control task.ResultsFindings revealed that those with SLD reported higher generalized and social anxiety, poorer inhibitory control, greater socially prescribed perfectionism, and more shame than nondiagnosed peers. Socially prescribed perfectionism was found to increase the risk of generalized anxiety in participants with SLD, while both socially prescribed perfectionism and shame were predictors of social anxiety across both groups. Finally, self-oriented perfectionism seemed to be associated with lower social anxiety in the SLD group.DiscussionThese findings suggest that interventions should address risk and protective factors, focusing on reducing anxiety and fostering adaptive self-regulation strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-28e6fba4d5a042a89caaf182ee2e8ff32025-08-20T01:58:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532025-03-011910.3389/fnbeh.2025.15361921536192Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotionsRachele Lievore0Ramona Cardillo1Ramona Cardillo2Irene Cristina Mammarella3Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyDepartment of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyIntroductionSince early research on Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), their relationship with emotional issues have been recognized, although emotional factors have received less attention compared to the cognitive processes related with academic achievement.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate mechanisms that may increase vulnerability to generalized and social anxiety in youth with SLD, compared to their non-diagnosed peers. We examined cognitive factors (inhibitory control), personality traits (self-oriented, socially prescribed perfectionism), and self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt). The sample included 134 individuals aged 10 to 16, divided into two groups: 67 with SLD and 67 without diagnoses, matched by age, sex, and IQ. Participants completed questionnaires on anxiety, perfectionism, and selfconscious emotions, alongside an inhibitory control task.ResultsFindings revealed that those with SLD reported higher generalized and social anxiety, poorer inhibitory control, greater socially prescribed perfectionism, and more shame than nondiagnosed peers. Socially prescribed perfectionism was found to increase the risk of generalized anxiety in participants with SLD, while both socially prescribed perfectionism and shame were predictors of social anxiety across both groups. Finally, self-oriented perfectionism seemed to be associated with lower social anxiety in the SLD group.DiscussionThese findings suggest that interventions should address risk and protective factors, focusing on reducing anxiety and fostering adaptive self-regulation strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1536192/fullanxietyspecific learning disordersinhibitionperfectionismshameguilt
spellingShingle Rachele Lievore
Ramona Cardillo
Ramona Cardillo
Irene Cristina Mammarella
Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
anxiety
specific learning disorders
inhibition
perfectionism
shame
guilt
title Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
title_full Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
title_fullStr Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
title_full_unstemmed Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
title_short Anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders: exploring the relationships with inhibitory control, perfectionism, and self-conscious emotions
title_sort anxiety in youth with and without specific learning disorders exploring the relationships with inhibitory control perfectionism and self conscious emotions
topic anxiety
specific learning disorders
inhibition
perfectionism
shame
guilt
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1536192/full
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