Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Reactions to Reading: A Latent Profile Analysis

Previous research on children’s emotional and behavioral reactions to reading has primarily employed a variable-centered approach, which assumes a homogeneous population with only one underlying pattern of emotional and behavioral reactions to reading. However, previous literature suggests that children can differ in their patterns of emotional and behavioral reactions to academic subjects, including reading. In this preregistered study, we aimed to identify profiles of children based on their reading-related emotions and behaviors (i.e., reading interest, reading self-efficacy, reading anxiety, and reading avoidance). By identifying these profiles, we can inform the development of interventions that target the specific emotional and behavioral traits that individual children are struggling with. Using a national sample of 1,287 U.S. twin children in 3rd through 12th grade, four profiles of reading-related emotions and behaviors were identified. About half of the children were in a profile exemplified by high positive and low negative reading-related emotions and behaviors. The other half of the children were struggling with reading-related emotions and behaviors across three distinct profiles. About 20% of the children were disengaged from reading, while another 20% of the children were primarily struggling with high reading anxiety. Finally, 7% of children presented a global distress toward reading, characterized by low reading interest and self-efficacy and very high reading anxiety and avoidance. Future directions for developing interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of children with each profile of reading-related emotions and behaviors are discussed.