A Mixed Method Study Investigating Dyslexia and Students’ Experiences of Anxiety and Coping
Adult students with dyslexia can receive support for cognitive needs but may also experience anxiety, which is less understood. This study aims to test the hypothesis that dyslexic learners in higher education have a higher prevalence of academic and social anxiety than their non-dyslexic peers and explores wider emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and the ways that adults with dyslexia cope cognitively and emotionally. A mixed method approach was used in two stages. Stage one compared survey responses from students with dyslexia (N = 102) and students without dyslexia (N = 72) after completion of an anxiety inventory. Stage two explored emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and types of coping strategies used through semi-structured interviews with 20 dyslexic students. Results revealed a statistically significant effect for academic anxiety but not for social anxiety. Findings for stage two showed that: (1) students’ emotional consequences were characterised by a mixture of negative and positive responses, yet negative responses were more frequent in response to questions about academic tasks than positive responses; (2) participants had less to say on coping emotionally, than coping cognitively.
[1] J. Carroll, and J. Illes, “An assessment of anxiety levels in dyslexic students in higher education,” British Journal of Educational Psychology., vol. 76, pp. 651-662, 2006.
[2] J. F. Torgesen, R. K. Wagner, and C. A. Rashotte, Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, 1999.
[3] C. D. Spielberger, D. L. Gorsuch, and R. E. Lushene, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. San Francisco, CA: Consulting Psychologists’ Press, 1983.
[4] D. Putwain, A. Daly, S. Chamberlain, and S. Sadreddini, (2015). “‘Sink or swim’: Buoyancy and coping in the cognitive test anxiety – academic performance relationship”. Educational Psychology, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 1807-1825, 2015.
[5] P. Trower, B. Bryant, and M. Argyle, Social skills and Mental Health. London: Methuen, 1978.
[6] R. B. Cattell, and I. H. Scheier, The Meaning and Measurement of Neuroticism and Anxiety. New York. Ronald, 1961.
[7] G. J. Boyle, Ed. D. H. Saklofske, Ed, and G. Matthews, Ed. Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs. London: Academic Press, 2015.
[8] S. R. Tilton, “Review of the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI),” News Notes., vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 1-3, 2008
[9] B. Riddick, C. Sterling, M. Farmer, and S. Morgan, “Self‐esteem and anxiety in the educational histories of adult dyslexic students,” Dyslexia., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 227-248, 1999.
[10] M. Ghisi, G. Bottesi, S. Cerea, S, and I. C. Mammarella, “Socioemotional features and resilience in Italian university students with and without dyslexia,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, pp. 478, 2016.
[11] J. A. Jordan, S. McGladdery, and K. Dyer, “Dyslexia in Higher Education: Implications for Maths Anxiety, Statistics Anxiety and Psychological Well-being,” Dyslexia, vol. 20, pp. 225-240, 2014
[12] J. Nelson, W. Lindstrom, and P. Foels, “Test anxiety among college students with specific reading disability (dyslexia): Nonverbal ability and working memory as predictors,” Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 422-432, 2015.
[13] J. Battle, Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories, 2nd ed. Austin, TX: PRO-ED, 1992.
[14] L. Erdodi, C. Abeare, J. Lichtenstein, B. Tyson, B. Kucharski, B. Zuccato, Y. S. Ben-Porath, “Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Processing Speed Scores as Measures of Noncredible Responding: The Third Generation of Embedded Performance Validity Indicators,” Psychological Assessment, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 148-157, 2008.
[15] S. D. Stagg, E. Eaton, and A.M. Sjoblom, “Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Students with Dyslexia: A Mixed Methods Investigation,” British Journal of Special Education, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 26-42, 2018.
[16] A. Bandura, Social learning theory (Prentice-Hall series in social learning theory). Englewood Cliffs; London: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
[17] N. Alexander‐Passe, “How dyslexic teenagers cope: An investigation of self‐esteem, coping and depression,” Dyslexia, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 256-275, 2006.
[18] R. B. Cattell, Handbook for the IPAT Anxiety Scale. Champaign, 111.: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, 1957.
[19] A. Bendig, “Reliability of and Intercorrelations Between Cattell's IPAT Anxiety and Neuroticism Scales,” The Journal of General Psychology, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 1-7, 1966.
[20] J. Loevinger, “Objective tests as instruments of psychological theory,” Psychological Reports, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 635-694, 1957.
[21] B. Birmaher, S. Khetarpal, D. Brent, M. Cully, L. Balach, J. Kaufman, and S. M. Neer, “The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Scale Construction and Psychometric Characteristics,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 545-553, 1997.
[22] R. Chester, E. Chaplin, E. Tsakanikos, J. Mccarthy, N. Bouras, and T. Craig, “Gender differences in self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with intellectual disabilities,” Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 191-200, 2013.
[23] C. Bonferroni, “Schemi teorici e dispersion,” Giornale Degli Economisti E Rivista Di Statistica, vol. 65, no. 7, pp. 396-411, 1939.
[24] V. Braun, and V. Clarke “Using thematic analysis in psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77-101.
[25] Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2018.
[1] J. Carroll, and J. Illes, “An assessment of anxiety levels in dyslexic students in higher education,” British Journal of Educational Psychology., vol. 76, pp. 651-662, 2006.
[2] J. F. Torgesen, R. K. Wagner, and C. A. Rashotte, Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, 1999.
[3] C. D. Spielberger, D. L. Gorsuch, and R. E. Lushene, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. San Francisco, CA: Consulting Psychologists’ Press, 1983.
[4] D. Putwain, A. Daly, S. Chamberlain, and S. Sadreddini, (2015). “‘Sink or swim’: Buoyancy and coping in the cognitive test anxiety – academic performance relationship”. Educational Psychology, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 1807-1825, 2015.
[5] P. Trower, B. Bryant, and M. Argyle, Social skills and Mental Health. London: Methuen, 1978.
[6] R. B. Cattell, and I. H. Scheier, The Meaning and Measurement of Neuroticism and Anxiety. New York. Ronald, 1961.
[7] G. J. Boyle, Ed. D. H. Saklofske, Ed, and G. Matthews, Ed. Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs. London: Academic Press, 2015.
[8] S. R. Tilton, “Review of the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI),” News Notes., vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 1-3, 2008
[9] B. Riddick, C. Sterling, M. Farmer, and S. Morgan, “Self‐esteem and anxiety in the educational histories of adult dyslexic students,” Dyslexia., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 227-248, 1999.
[10] M. Ghisi, G. Bottesi, S. Cerea, S, and I. C. Mammarella, “Socioemotional features and resilience in Italian university students with and without dyslexia,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, pp. 478, 2016.
[11] J. A. Jordan, S. McGladdery, and K. Dyer, “Dyslexia in Higher Education: Implications for Maths Anxiety, Statistics Anxiety and Psychological Well-being,” Dyslexia, vol. 20, pp. 225-240, 2014
[12] J. Nelson, W. Lindstrom, and P. Foels, “Test anxiety among college students with specific reading disability (dyslexia): Nonverbal ability and working memory as predictors,” Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 422-432, 2015.
[13] J. Battle, Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories, 2nd ed. Austin, TX: PRO-ED, 1992.
[14] L. Erdodi, C. Abeare, J. Lichtenstein, B. Tyson, B. Kucharski, B. Zuccato, Y. S. Ben-Porath, “Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Processing Speed Scores as Measures of Noncredible Responding: The Third Generation of Embedded Performance Validity Indicators,” Psychological Assessment, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 148-157, 2008.
[15] S. D. Stagg, E. Eaton, and A.M. Sjoblom, “Self-Efficacy in Undergraduate Students with Dyslexia: A Mixed Methods Investigation,” British Journal of Special Education, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 26-42, 2018.
[16] A. Bandura, Social learning theory (Prentice-Hall series in social learning theory). Englewood Cliffs; London: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
[17] N. Alexander‐Passe, “How dyslexic teenagers cope: An investigation of self‐esteem, coping and depression,” Dyslexia, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 256-275, 2006.
[18] R. B. Cattell, Handbook for the IPAT Anxiety Scale. Champaign, 111.: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, 1957.
[19] A. Bendig, “Reliability of and Intercorrelations Between Cattell's IPAT Anxiety and Neuroticism Scales,” The Journal of General Psychology, vol. 75, no. 1, pp. 1-7, 1966.
[20] J. Loevinger, “Objective tests as instruments of psychological theory,” Psychological Reports, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 635-694, 1957.
[21] B. Birmaher, S. Khetarpal, D. Brent, M. Cully, L. Balach, J. Kaufman, and S. M. Neer, “The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED): Scale Construction and Psychometric Characteristics,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 545-553, 1997.
[22] R. Chester, E. Chaplin, E. Tsakanikos, J. Mccarthy, N. Bouras, and T. Craig, “Gender differences in self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with intellectual disabilities,” Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 191-200, 2013.
[23] C. Bonferroni, “Schemi teorici e dispersion,” Giornale Degli Economisti E Rivista Di Statistica, vol. 65, no. 7, pp. 396-411, 1939.
[24] V. Braun, and V. Clarke “Using thematic analysis in psychology,” Qualitative Research in Psychology., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77-101.
[25] Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2018.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:80722", author = "Amanda Abbott-Jones", title = "A Mixed Method Study Investigating Dyslexia and Students’ Experiences of Anxiety and Coping", abstract = "Adult students with dyslexia can receive support for cognitive needs but may also experience anxiety, which is less understood. This study aims to test the hypothesis that dyslexic learners in higher education have a higher prevalence of academic and social anxiety than their non-dyslexic peers and explores wider emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and the ways that adults with dyslexia cope cognitively and emotionally. A mixed method approach was used in two stages. Stage one compared survey responses from students with dyslexia (N = 102) and students without dyslexia (N = 72) after completion of an anxiety inventory. Stage two explored emotional consequences of studying with dyslexia and types of coping strategies used through semi-structured interviews with 20 dyslexic students. Results revealed a statistically significant effect for academic anxiety but not for social anxiety. Findings for stage two showed that: (1) students’ emotional consequences were characterised by a mixture of negative and positive responses, yet negative responses were more frequent in response to questions about academic tasks than positive responses; (2) participants had less to say on coping emotionally, than coping cognitively. ", keywords = "Dyslexia, higher education, anxiety, emotion.", volume = "16", number = "3", pages = "126-11", }
