The Labyrinth of Connection: Exploring the Complex Neurobiological Pathway Between Social Exclusion And Academic Anxiety in Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2323Keywords:
Academic Anxiety, Adolescents, social exclusionAbstract
This review aims to examine the impact of social exclusion and rejection on the brain during adolescence, which often leads to the development of academic anxiety. The brain controls complex bodily functions that allow humans to communicate, feel, remember, and much more. Studies have shown when adolescents face social exclusion/rejection, their brain undergoes biological changes such as an increase in cortisol levels, smaller hippocampus volumes, reduced emotion regulation, and other transformations. These changes can lead to a cognitive decline. During the developing stages, adolescents are more susceptible to peer rejection, which has been shown to potentially impact the brain's parts involved in social interactions. These instances of exclusion can be characterized as traumatic experiences for the students, which can lead to impaired academic performance and academic anxiety. Understanding the link between social exclusion and academic anxiety is key to achieving a productive environment for students where they can safely address their mental health issues and ensure their academic success.
References
Rocker, Leonardo. “Social Exclusion at School.” Www.childpsychologist.com.au, www.childpsychologist.com.au/resources/social-exclusion-at-school.
Eisenberger, N. I., et al. “Does Rejection Hurt? An FMRI Study of Social Exclusion.” Science, vol. 302, no. 5643, 10 Oct. 2003, pp. 290–292, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1089134.
Sroykham, Watchara, and Yodchanan Wongsawat. “Effects of Brain Activity, Morning Salivary Cortisol, and Emotion Regulation on Cognitive Impairment in Elderly People.” Medicine, vol. 98, no. 26, June 2019, p. e16114, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6616250/#:~:text=Basal%20cortisol%20elevation%20causes%20damage,frontal%20lobe%20in%20the%20brain., https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000016114.
Lim, Lena, et al. “Gray Matter Abnormalities in Childhood Maltreatment: A Voxel-Wise Meta-Analysis.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 171, no. 8, Aug. 2014, pp. 854–863, https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13101427.
Masten, Carrie L., et al. “Neural Correlates of Social Exclusion during Adolescence: Understanding the Distress of Peer Rejection.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 4, no. 2, 26 May 2009, pp. 143–157, academic.oup.com/scan/article/4/2/143/1627500, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsp007.
Gerin, Mattia I., et al. “Heightened Amygdala Reactivity and Increased Stress Generation Predict Internalizing Symptoms in Adults Following Childhood Maltreatment.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 60, no. 7, Apr. 2019, pp. 752–761, https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13041.
Dickerson, S. “APA PsycNet.” Psycnet.apa.org, 2013, psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-26299-014.
Víctor Landaeta Torres. “Using Experimental Game Theory to Measure Cooperative Relations in Elementary School Classrooms to Understand Its Relationship with Academic Performance and School Climate.” Scispace, 1 Jan. 2022, typeset.io/papers/using-experimental-game-theory-to-measure-cooperative-2qmq49l8, https://doi.org/10.52611/11447/6151.
Fishstrom, Sarah, et al. “A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Academic Interventions on Academic Achievement and Academic Anxiety Outcomes in Elementary School Children.” Journal of School Psychology, vol. 92, June 2022, pp. 265–284, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2022.03.011.
“Clinical Depression (Major Depressive Disorder): Symptoms.” Cleveland Clinic, 30 Nov. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24481-clinical-depression-major-depressive-disorder.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Anxiety Disorders.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 4 May 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961.
“Brain: Anatomy, Development and Function.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 30 Mar. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22638-brain.
“Central Nervous System: What Does It Do?” Cleveland Clinic, 12 Nov. 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/central-nervous-system-cns.
Kendra Cherry. “How Important Is the Hippocampus in the Brain?” Verywell Mind, 18 Oct. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-hippocampus-2795231.
Woodruff, Alan. “What Is a Neuron?” Uq.edu.au, The University of Queensland, 2018, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/what-neuron.
“How Are Memories Formed?” Qbi.uq.edu.au, 2 Dec. 2016, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/memory/how-are-memories-formed#:~:text=Different%20groups%20of%20neurons%20
Queensland brain institute. “Action Potentials and Synapses.” The University of Queensland, 2024, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/brain/brain-physiology/action-potentials-and-synapses.
“Grey Matter.” Cleveland Clinic, 19 Mar. 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24831-grey-matter.
Ansell, Emily B., et al. “Cumulative Adversity and Smaller Gray Matter Volume in Medial Prefrontal, Anterior Cingulate, and Insula Regions.” Biological Psychiatry, vol. 72, no. 1, July 2012, pp. 57–64, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.11.022. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021.
OpenStax, and Lumen Learning. “Retrieval.” Pressbooks.online.ucf.edu, pressbooks.online.ucf.edu/lumenpsychology/chapter/reading-retrieval/#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20ways%20you.
Bisaz, Reto, et al. “The Neurobiological Bases of Memory Formation: From Physiological Conditions to Psychopathology.” Psychopathology, vol. 47, no. 6, 2014, pp. 347–356, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4246028/, https://doi.org/10.1159/000363702.
https://www.facebook.com/verywell. “What’s the Difference between Implicit and Explicit Memory?” Verywell Mind, 2024, www.verywellmind.com/implicit-and-explicit-memory-2795346#:~:text=Implicit%20memory%20and%20explicit%20memory%20are%20both. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.
Aminoff, Elissa M., et al. “The Role of the Parahippocampal Cortex in Cognition.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 17, no. 8, Aug. 2013, pp. 379–390, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.06.009.
Wendt, Taylor. “Amygdala: What to Know.” WebMD, 1 Sept. 2022, www.webmd.com/brain/amygdala-what-to-know.
Cleveland Clinic. “Adrenal Gland: What It Is, Function, Symptoms & Disorders.” Cleveland Clinic, 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23005-adrenal-gland.
Publishing, Harvard Health. “Understanding the Stress Response.” Harvard Health, 6 July 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response#:~:text=The%20autonomic%20nervous%20system%20has.
“Limbic System: Amygdala (Section 4, Chapter 6) Neuroscience Online: An Electronic Textbook for the Neurosciences | Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy - the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.” Tmc.edu, 2020, nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/m/s4/chapter06.html#:~:text=On%20the%20other%20hand%2C%20pathways. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
---. “The Amygdala: A Small Part of Your Brain’s Biggest Abilities.” Cleveland Clinic, 11 Apr. 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24894-amygdala.
“FIG 1. The Medial Temporal Lobe Consists of the Hippocampal Formation...” ResearchGate, www.researchgate.net/figure/The-medial-temporal-lobe-consists-of-the-hippocampal-formation-blue-green-superiorly_fig5_268791398.
Chidambaram, Hariharakrishnan, and Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi. “G-Protein Coupled Receptors and Tau-Different Roles in Alzheimer’s Disease.” Neuroscience, vol. 438, 1 July 2020, pp. 198–214, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452220302414, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.019.
“GPCR | Learn Science at Scitable.” Nature.com, 2014, www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gpcr-14047471/#:~:text=Conclusion.
Angelousi, Anna, et al. “ACTH Action on the Adrenals.” PubMed, MDText.com, Inc., 2000, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279118/#:~:text=ACTH%20binds%20to%20the%20highly.
---. “Hypothalamus: What It Is, Function, Conditions & Disorders.” Cleveland Clinic, 16 Mar. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22566-hypothalamus.
Thau, Lauren, et al. “Physiology, Cortisol.” National Library of Medicine, StatPearls Publishing, 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/.
Caria, Andrea, and Ginevra Matilde Dall’Ò. “Functional Neuroimaging of Human Hypothalamus in Socioemotional Behavior: A Systematic Review.” Brain Sciences, vol. 12, no. 6, 30 May 2022, p. 707, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12060707.
---. “Oxytocin: What It Is, Function & Effects.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 27 Mar. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22618-oxytocin.
Bethlehem, Richard A. I., et al. “Oxytocin, Brain Physiology, and Functional Connectivity: A Review of Intranasal Oxytocin FMRI Studies.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 38, no. 7, 1 July 2013, pp. 962–974, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453012003460, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.10.011.
Mcleod, Saul. “Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development.” Simply Psychology, 2024, www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html.
“Social Development during Adolescence | Lifespan Development.” Courses.lumenlearning.com, courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-lifespandevelopment/chapter/social-development-during-adolescence/.
Merriam-Webster. “Definition of TRAUMA.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2019, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trauma.
Bremner, J Douglas. “Traumatic Stress: Effects on the Brain.” Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, vol. 8, no. 4, 8 Dec. 2006, pp. 445–61, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/, https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/jbremner.
Peters, Ellen, et al. “Peer Rejection and HPA Activity in Middle Childhood: Friendship Makes a Difference.” Child Development, vol. 82, no. 6, 25 Oct. 2011, pp. 1906–1920, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01647.x.
Cascino, Giammarco, and Alessio Maria Monteleone. “Early Traumatic Experiences and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in People with Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 159, 1 Jan. 2024, pp. 106665–106665, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106665.
Hinds, Jenalee A., and Edwin R. Sanchez. “The Role of the Hypothalamus–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA) Axis in Test-Induced Anxiety: Assessments, Physiological Responses, and Molecular Details.” Stresses, vol. 2, no. 1, 14 Mar. 2022, pp. 146–155, www.mdpi.com/2673-7140/2/1/11#:~:text=A%20psychological%20stressor%20can%20activate,an%20increase%20in%20anxiety%20levels., https://doi.org/10.3390/stresses2010011.
Brenda, Dater. “Exclusion and Trauma.” Aane.org, 3 Nov. 2022, aane.org/autism-info-faqs/library/exclusion-and-trauma/.
Farb, Amy. “Academic Performance - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” Www.sciencedirect.com, 2012, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/academic-performance.
Princeton Review. “What Is the SAT? | the Princeton Review.” Princetonreview.com, 2019, www.princetonreview.com/college/sat-information.
The Princeton Review. “What Is the ACT? | the Princeton Review.” Princetonreview.com, 2000, www.princetonreview.com/college/act-information.
“Academic Mindset.” Mindsetworks.com, 2017, www.mindsetworks.com/go/academic-mindsets/#:~:text=What%20are%20Academic%20Mindsets?
Mindmesh. “What Is Goal Setting – Definition, Process & Examples | Mindmesh.” Www.mindmesh.com, 2023, www.mindmesh.com/glossary/what-is-goal-setting.
Potter, Kevin. “What Is a GPA and Why Is It so Important? - MastersPortal.com.” Mastersportal.com, 22 Dec. 2017, www.mastersportal.com/articles/2126/what-is-a-gpa-and-why-is-it-so-important.html.
Lindsay, Samantha. “What’s the Average High School GPA? · PrepScholar.” Prepscholar.com, 2018, blog.prepscholar.com/whats-the-average-high-school-gpa#:~:text=As%20you%20can%20see%2C%20the%20national%20overall%20average%20GPA%20is%203.0.
“How to Calculate Your GPA.” Www.princetonreview.com, www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/gpa-college-admissions.
“About Academic Anxiety.” Academic Anxiety Resource Center, sites.bsu.edu/aarc/about-academic-anxiety/#:~:text=Academic%20anxiety%20refers%20to%20the.
Rincon, Keeli R. “Types of Academic Anxiety.” Academic Anxiety Resource Center, 12 Nov. 2021, sites.bsu.edu/aarc/2021/11/12/types-of-academic-anxiety/.
---. “Hippocampus: What’s Its Function?” Cleveland Clinic, 14 May 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/hippocampus.
Learning, Think, and Laura Caveney. “9 Strategies to Improve Learning Retention.” Think Learning, 6 Oct. 2023, www.think-learning.com/learning-impact/learning-retention/.
Mak, Ying. “What Is Cognition?” Cambridge Cognition, 19 Aug. 2015, cambridgecognition.com/what-is-cognition/.
Cambridge Dictionary. “Focus.” @CambridgeWords, 28 Aug. 2024, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/focus#google_vignette.
“How to Focus for Learning.” Physiopedia, www.physio-pedia.com/How_to_Focus_for_Learning.
Le, Manh Hung, et al. “Smart Desk in Hybrid Classroom: Detecting Student’s Lack of Concentration When Studying.” IEEE Xplore, 1 Oct. 2022, ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10013468.
Wheeler, Resa S., and Marie Emerald A. Cabigas. “Pupils’ Focus and Motivations: Their Influence on Mathematics Performance.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH and ANALYSIS, vol. 07, no. 06, 11 June 2024, typeset.io/papers/pupils-focus-and-motivations-their-influence-on-mathematics-522mf1pft0, https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmra/v7-i06-04.
Neumeister, P., et al. “Specific Amygdala Response to Masked Fearful Faces in Post-Traumatic Stress Relative to Other Anxiety Disorders.” Psychological Medicine, vol. 48, no. 7, 27 Sept. 2017, pp. 1209–1217, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/specific-amygdala-response-to-masked-fearful-faces-in-posttraumatic-stress-relative-to-other-anxiety-disorders/BEB5AC06F46320E00B82E2185629804A, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291717002513.
Chappelow, Jim. “Prisoner’s Dilemma Definition.” Investopedia, 23 May 2019, www.investopedia.com/terms/p/prisoners-dilemma.asp.
Frantz, Roger. “X-Efficiency. An Intervening Variable.” Elsevier EBooks, 11 Oct. 2019, pp. 95–116, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/economics-econometrics-and-finance/prisoner-dilemma, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-815289-8.00006-x.
Lutter, Michael, and Eric J. Nestler. “Homeostatic and Hedonic Signals Interact in the Regulation of Food Intake.” The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 139, no. 3, 28 Jan. 2009, pp. 629–632, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.108.097618.
Kinner, Valerie L., et al. “Cortisol Alters Reward Processing in the Human Brain.” Hormones and Behavior, vol. 84, Aug. 2016, pp. 75–83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.05.005.
Honk, Jack van, et al. “Low Cortisol Levels and the Balance between Punishment Sensitivity and Reward Dependency.” NeuroReport, vol. 14, no. 15, Oct. 2003, pp. 1993–1996, https://doi.org/10.1097/00001756-200310270-00023.
Hirsch, Larissa. “Metabolism (for Teens) - KidsHealth.” Kidshealth.org, July 2019, kidshealth.org/en/teens/metabolism.html.
Cuncic, Arlin. “What Exactly Is Psychopathology?” Verywell Mind, 2020, www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-psychopathology-4178942.
Ng, KW, et al. “Eating Psychopathology and Psychosocial Impairment in Patients Treated at a Singapore Eating Disorders Treatment Programme.” Singapore Medical Journal, vol. 59, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 33–38, https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2017042.
“Eating Disorders and the School Setting.” Aap.org, 2020, www.aap.org/en/patient-care/school-health/mental-health-in-schools/eating-disorders-and-the-school-setting/?srsltid=AfmBOornIH8qufZcfq6GetxlwQcRBo57KpPtk3852kx9tpI0fb4xaHgx.
Tomlinson, Tommy M. “Hard Work and High Expectations.” Google Books, 2024, books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9Gqt5ueCAkUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=are+students+willing+to+take+harder+classes&ots=5Jwb1j4YoD&sig=QJKTixwuRNuwJ_fva4eJyL5Cej8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=are%20students%20willing%20to%20take%20harder%20classes&f=false.
Camel, Dawn. Improving Student’s Academic Performance from the Inside Out: The Relationship between Self-Esteem and Academic Performance a RESEARCH SNAPSHOT. June 2020.
Blouin, Melissa. “Research Review Shows Self-Esteem Has Long-Term Benefits.” UC Davis, 15 Apr. 2022, www.ucdavis.edu/curiosity/news/research-review-shows-self-esteem-has-long-term-benefits.
Onyemaechi, Chinenye . “What Is Depression?” American Psychiatric Association, Apr. 2024, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.
“What Is Non-Traditional Education?” The American Academy, 2024, www.theamericanacademy.com/blogs/articles/what-is-non-traditional-education.
Acton. “Acton Academy.” Acton Academy, 2014, www.actonamba.org/faqs.
Downloads
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Heta Darji
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.