THE GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON CHILD ANXIETY AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
Open Access
Author:
Dewoody, Melissa
Area of Honors:
Mathematics
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jenae Marie Neiderhiser, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Diane Marie Henderson, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Mathematics Psychology Anxiety School Performance
Abstract:
Childhood anxiety has both genetic and environmental influences. The presence of anxiety in early childhood is of interest in the present report because of its potential impact on early childhood school performance. This report utilizes data from a longitudinal adoption study including adopted infants, their birth parents, and adoptive parents (N = 361). The report examined the relationship between birth mother anxiety symptoms, child anxiety symptoms, and subsequent child school performance. School performance was studied under three categories: reading, arithmetic/math, and language arts/writing. In addition, this study examined how parenting style may moderate the effects of inherited risk for anxiety symptoms on child school performance during childhood using adoptive parenting variables: involvement and positive parenting.
