Cognitive processes and academic emotions of secondary educa-tion students with specific learning difficulties: A qualitative study
Published:
Dec 22, 2025
Keywords:
specific learning difficulties, academic emotions, SPAARS model, secondary education, cognitive processes
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between cognitive processes and academic emotions in secondary school students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs). The core variables under investigation include: cognitive appraisals (e.g., self-beliefs and threat perceptions), schematic models formed through negative experiences, emotional reactions (fear, anxiety, sadness), as well as perceived social acceptance and the extent to which the school context functions as a protective or non-protective factor. The SPAARS model (Schematic Propositional Analogical and Associative Representation Systems; Power & Dalgleish, 1999) was chosen as the theoretical framework due to its conceptual depth and ability to integrate multiple levels of emotional processing: analogical (imagery), propositional (verbal interpretations), schematic (beliefs), and associative (automatic emotional reactivation). Its six-stage structure (event, interpretation, appraisal, physiological change, action tendency, conscious awareness) also makes it particularly suitable for qualitative analysis of narrative data. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with 14 students aged 12–16, all formally diagnosed with SLDs. The analysis of their narratives revealed a consistent link between repeated academic failure and the formation of negative self-beliefs, along with the perception of school as a non-protective environment. The participants also described emotionally charged experiences that threatened their sense of self-worth and social acceptance, leading to the activation of intense negative emotions through associative pathways. The application of the SPAARS model enabled a comprehensive understanding of how cognitive processes become internalized and stabilized over time, shaping students' emotional involvement and academic functioning. The findings support the model's value both as a theoretical lens and as a practical tool for targeted psychoeducational interventions.
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Filippatou, D., Archoleka, V., & Vasilaki, E. (2025). Cognitive processes and academic emotions of secondary educa-tion students with specific learning difficulties: A qualitative study. Psychology: The Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 30(2), 92–115. https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.41003
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