Attentional processes and daily stress in a schoolchild population: exploring their relationship

Abstract

Today we are witnessing a sharp increase in attentional difficulties in students, as well as the presence of increasingly frequent and intense stress symptoms from the earliest years of schooling. The aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the relationship between children’s attentional and inhibitory control processes and their daily stress. A non-experimental, quantitative, correlational and inferential study was designed, in which 558 fifth- and sixth-graders participated. The results indicated a tendency towards greater attention (sustained and selective), attentional capacity, and impulsivity control when school stress and overall stress were lower. Higher levels of attention deficit, behavior disorders, and hyperactivity with attention deficit, were also observed to correspond with increased stress levels in the four areas analyzed (health, school, family and overall). Based on these relationships, we have verified the predictive nature of attention deficit for school and global stress. In conclusion, and based on the educational neuroscience paradigm, there is a need for teaching actions that develop students’ attentional processes, as well as their strategies for coping with stress.

Keywords: daily stress, school stress, attention, impulsivity, primary education.