The Mediating Role of Attention Bias in the Relationship Between Anxiety Sensitivity and Academic Motivation in Children With Specific Learning Disorders
Keywords:
Anxiety sensitivity, Attention bias, Academic motivation, Specific learning disorders, Mediation model, Structural equation modeling.Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of attention bias in the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and academic motivation among children diagnosed with specific learning disorders (SLD). A descriptive–correlational design was used, involving 400 students with specific learning disorders enrolled in learning disability centers in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. The sample size was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS; Vallerand et al., 1992) to measure academic motivation, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index for Children (ASIC; Laurent et al., 1998) to assess anxiety sensitivity, and the Dot-Probe Task (MacLeod et al., 1986) to evaluate attention bias. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficients and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through SPSS-27 and AMOS-21 software. Model fit was assessed using multiple indices including χ²/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA. Results revealed that anxiety sensitivity was negatively correlated with academic motivation (r = −.42, p < .001) and positively correlated with attention bias (r = .47, p < .001). Attention bias was negatively correlated with academic motivation (r = −.36, p < .001). The SEM results indicated excellent model fit (χ²/df = 1.63, CFI = .97, TLI = .96, RMSEA = .039). Anxiety sensitivity significantly predicted attention bias (β = 0.47, p < .001) and academic motivation (β = −0.33, p < .001). The indirect effect of anxiety sensitivity on academic motivation through attention bias was also significant (β = −0.14, p = .002), confirming partial mediation. The findings suggest that attention bias partially mediates the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and academic motivation in children with specific learning disorders.
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