Positive Attitudes and Early Academic Success

According to a study from Stanford University, a positive attitude is thought to impact academic achievement and learning in children, but little is known about its underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Results from this study showed that positive attitude was associated with increased engagement of the hippocampal learning-memory system among participants. Further analysis revealed that increased hippocampal activity and more frequent use of efficient memory-based strategies mediated the relation between positive attitude and higher math achievement. This study is the first to expand upon the neurocognitive mechanisms by which positive attitude influences learning and academic achievement. 

Chen, L., Bae, S. R., Battista, C., Qin, S., Chen, T., Evans, T. M., & Menon, V. (2018). Positive attitude toward math supports early academic success: Behavioral evidence and neurocognitive mechanisms. Psychological Science, 29(3), 390-402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797617735528