Daily Stress, Executive Functions, and Academic Performance in Elementary School Students

Abstract

The presence of stress has been linked to executive functions and academic performance; thus, the present research explored its relationship among primary students. The quantitative study included 62 participants between 8-12 years old, divided into late childhood and preadolescents groups. A School Daily Stress scale was applied, with a report of academic averages and a battery of neuropsychological tests to measure executive functions and global cognitive capacity (CIT). The tests were the Trail making test, the colour and word Stroop test, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The main results showed a significant and negative correlation between daily stress, cognitive flexibility, working memory and inhibitory control (p<.05). Regression analysis showed that both the CIT and the perception of daily stress predict academic performance (R2= .35). It is concluded that daily stress is relevant for the development of executive functions in primary school children and can have a negative impact on both academic performance and school trajectories.