School-weariness is associated with enhanced emotional stroop interference and selective autonomic differences in junior middle school students.
6 affiliations
- 1Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
- 2Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment for Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China.
- 3Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
- 4Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
- 5Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment for Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
- 6Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
School-weariness (SW) is a pattern of persistent negative affect toward learning and school, with cognitive devaluation of academic activities. SW is associated with reduced academic motivation, poorer academic functioning, and internalizing/somatic problems, but its cognitive-affective processes and autonomic correlates remain unclear. This study examined whether SW is associated with enhanced emotional Stroop interference and selective physiological differences in junior middle school students.Methods
This exploratory cross-sectional matched case-control study recruited 47 junior middle school students from three schools in Hangzhou, China. Participants completed questionnaires and an emotional Stroop task with electrocardiographic recording during baseline, task, and recovery. Behavioral outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models or binomial generalized linear mixed-effects models, and electrocardiography (ECG) / heart rate variability (HRV) outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Age, gender, and school source were included as covariates where appropriate.Results
Compared with controls, the SW group showed higher scores in all symptom scales, slower reaction times, and greater emotional Stroop interference. Accuracy effects were not significant. For the ECG results, the SW group showed higher heart rate across baseline, task, and recovery. The HRV measures showed no robust group-related pattern.Conclusions
SW in junior middle school students was characterized by greater internalizing/somatic burden, slower responding, and greater interference from school-related negative words, together with limited exploratory autonomic differences.
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BibTeX
@article{yu2026schoolweariness,
title = {{School-weariness is associated with enhanced emotional stroop interference and selective autonomic differences in junior middle school students.}},
author = {Shuyang Yu and Qianwen Song and Huixin Lu and Hong Luo and Zhiguo Hu},
journal = {BMC psychology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s40359-026-05265-z},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958432},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - School-weariness is associated with enhanced emotional stroop interference and selective autonomic differences in junior middle school students.
AU - Shuyang Yu
AU - Qianwen Song
AU - Huixin Lu
AU - Hong Luo
AU - Zhiguo Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - BMC psychology
DO - 10.1186/s40359-026-05265-z
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958432
AB - Background School-weariness (SW) is a pattern of persistent negative affect toward learning and school, with cognitive devaluation of academic activities. SW is associated with reduced academic motivation, poorer academic functioning, and internalizing/somatic problems, but its cognitive-affective processes and autonomic correlates remain unclear. This study examined whether SW is associated with enhanced emotional Stroop interference and selective physiological differences in junior middle school students.Methods This exploratory cross-sectional matched case-control study recruited 47 junior middle school students from three schools in Hangzhou, China. Participants completed questionnaires and an emotional Stroop task with electrocardiographic recording during baseline, task, and recovery. Behavioral outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models or binomial generalized linear mixed-effects models, and electrocardiography (ECG) / heart rate variability (HRV) outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Age, gender, and school source were included as covariates where appropriate.Results Compared with controls, the SW group showed higher scores in all symptom scales, slower reaction times, and greater emotional Stroop interference. Accuracy effects were not significant. For the ECG results, the SW group showed higher heart rate across baseline, task, and recovery. The HRV measures showed no robust group-related pattern.Conclusions SW in junior middle school students was characterized by greater internalizing/somatic burden, slower responding, and greater interference from school-related negative words, together with limited exploratory autonomic differences.
SN - 2050-7283
ER -