Abstract
The relationship between frustration tolerance and academic behavior is well documented in the existing literature, specifically in regard to students with learning disabilities. This column addresses these connections and then provides specific strategies to address low frustration tolerance and increase emotional self-regulation in the classroom. By employing these strategies, teachers can improve student behavior, facilitate emotional development, and create a more constructive learning environment.
Keywords
Frustration tolerance is the ability to respond to challenging situations with patience and emotional stability (Harrington, 2011; Shi et al., 2021). Those with low frustration tolerance (LFT) tend to become quickly distressed when encountering obstacles and may experience intense emotions such as anger, hostility, or depression (Filippello et al., 2014; Mahon et al., 2007). Stressful situations for students with a low frustration threshold may result in inappropriate expressions of negative feelings, which during academic instruction, can create behavior and achievement concerns.
Research has revealed connections between frustration tolerance, academic success, and classroom behavior. Specifically, higher frustration tolerance is associated with intellectual activity and self-control, while lower frustration tolerance is associated with task avoidance, procrastination, and giving up easily (Meindl et al., 2019; Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). Frustration tolerance also affects classroom behavior. Students with LFT may exhibit angry outbursts and aggressive behavior when they encounter academic or social situations that are stressful or overwhelming (Fives et al., 2011; Sorrenti et al., 2019). This can present a particular challenge to teachers, who must address these concerns while also working to counteract negative expectations and the loss of motivation (Ghisi et al., 2016).
Frustration Tolerance and Learning Exceptionalities
Students with specific learning disabilities or developmental disorders are often impacted by LFT due to stressors caused by the struggle to understand and emotionally self-regulate. Executive functioning impairment can contribute to this, since frustration tolerance is often accompanied by other executive skill deficits exhibited in students with learning disabilities (Chand, 2015; Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). The manifestations of LFT may vary based on disability type and individual characteristics. However, the common thread of impacted emotional self-regulation is evident in students with a variety of learning and developmental challenges.
Students with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and auditory processing disorder may have a lower frustration threshold due to struggles understanding, synthesizing, and expressing content (O’Brien, 2020; Ryan, 2004). Since LFT-related behavior problems such as outbursts and refusal to participate are often exacerbated by fatigue (Chand, 2015), academic struggles can be a trigger for students with learning disabilities (Ghisi et al., 2016; Ryan, 2004; Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). Learners with frustration regulation issues may also have higher stress levels and exhibit anxiety. This can compound the effects of learning issues, especially during high-stress situations such as test taking (Mahon et al., 2007; Sorrenti et al., 2019).
A similar pattern can be seen in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have difficulty with emotional self-regulation, since they may exhibit anger when expectations aren’t met or when faced with frustrating or overwhelming situations (Mills et al., 2022; Reyes et al., 2019). Likewise, students with ASD who have a LFT may have difficulty controlling emotions when frustrated and may respond more aggressively or impulsively, resulting in classroom outbursts (Reyes et al., 2019; Samson et al., 2015). Other students with ASD who also exhibit frustration tolerance deficits may respond by “shutting down” and may even exhibit signs of depression (Cai et al., 2018). Thus, learning self-regulation and calming strategies can help with de-escalation and prevention.
Mental and emotional health act as critical influences in student self-regulation and frustration tolerance. Students with anxiety, depression, or anger control issues may evoke signs of LFT during stressful academic situations, to include reading development and remediation (Mahon et al., 2007). Similarly, anger, irrationality, and aggression affect student cognition, and trauma can impact levels of frustration tolerance and academic development (Duplechain et al., 2008; Fives et al., 2011; Frieze, 2015). LFT has even been linked to an increase in substance abuse, since addictive substances may be used to temporarily alleviate negative emotions (Ramirez-Castillo et al., 2019). Through proper response, trained teachers can support students who experience these challenges with frustration.
Recognizing the Signs of Low Frustration Tolerance
Since the effects of LFT can be disruptive and impede progress, it is important for teachers to be able to recognize warning signs of an outburst or shutdown. Children with LFT have difficulty with emotional self-regulation, and so supporting a healthy response to “triggers” is crucial (Filippello et al., 2014; Harrington, 2011). Early warning signs of an overreaction to a challenging or frustrating situation include (a) refusal to respond, (b) agitation, (c) inflexibility, (d) verbalization of negative self-talk, and (e) the blinking back of tears (Chand, 2015; Filippello et al., 2014; Fives et al., 2011). In addition, displaying controlled physical responses of frustration, such as slapping a binder or pounding the desk, can also reveal that a student is about to lose control. Criticism can be especially difficult for students with LFT, so providing supportive reactions to these warning signs is important. Then, implementing strategies to help students stay calm and regain perspective is needed to maintain balance.
Strategies to Address Low Frustration Tolerance
Building student capacity to handle frustration can result in emotional development and fewer behavioral outbursts. Furthermore, fostering these skills can help students to improve adaptability to difficult situations and increase their enjoyment of learning (Jeon, 2016). Strategies should focus on responding constructively to challenging situations, increasing persistence, employing calming techniques and coping mechanisms, and promoting goal setting (Guderjahn et al., 2013; Filippello et al., 2014; Harrington, 2011; Meindl et al., 2019). Specifically, the following strategies are discussed in detail: (a) addressing extremes in thinking, (b) supporting perseverance, (c) providing a safe outlet for emotions, (d) transitioning from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation, (e) applying accommodations, and (f) interrupting negative self-perceptions. By employing these and other similar strategies, teachers can improve student behavior and create a more constructive learning environment.
Address Extremes in Thinking
Distorted thinking patterns can result in angry or defeatist responses to frustration. These responses may include negative self-talk, extreme “all-or-nothing” thinking, learned helplessness, and situation avoidance (Harrington, 2005; Sorrenti et al., 2015). Likewise, when students have irrational perspectives on how difficult a problem or task actually is, they can perseverate on the reasons that they can’t do it, which creates stress, withdrawal, or emotional outbursts. One solution is to teach reframing techniques, which help to replace negative outlooks with more positive and constructive perspectives (Filippello et al., 2018; Karpetis, 2015; Panichelli, 2013).
Reframing technique examples
Change point of view. Instead of focusing on mistakes, encourage students to prioritize correct items and progress made.
Avoid absolute words. Assist students in avoiding words that promote “all-or-nothing” thinking, such as: always, never, all, every, can’t.
Remember previous success. Remind students of a previous academic success, which will help to bring a positive spin to the current situation.
Encourage empathy. Help students to empathize with classmates by seeing situations from their point of view.
Support Perseverance
Perseverance is the dedication to finish a task once it has been started, even if it becomes challenging. It requires that students build internal volition and take steps to overcome barriers, which may be challenging for those with LFT (Filippello et al., 2018; Meindl et al., 2019). To support perseverance, learners should become more directly involved in goal setting and documenting their progress (Harrington, 2011). Students are less likely to give up, disconnect, or “melt down” if they see themselves making progress and are celebrating incremental successes along the way. Along with goal setting, it is important for teachers to model encouraging self-talk and to practice this process with students (Harrington, 2011).
Supporting perseverance strategy examples
Set goals and document progress. Work together to set academic or behavioral goals and document progress by graphing, self-assessing, or conferring.
Model positive self-talk. Sample phrases include “Everyone makes mistakes”; “I am going to try that again”; “I won’t give up.”
Learn from mistakes. Help students to see errors or failures as part of the growth process and not a cause for distress.
Provide a Safe Outlet for Emotions
Students who exhibit signs of LFT have difficulty with emotional self-regulation (Sorrenti et al., 2015). As previously mentioned, this is particularly true for learners who may have learning disabilities, autism, or emotional health disorders. Thus, it is important for students to recognize their emotions and then to have safe outlets for expressing them. One proactive strategy is to provide space for journaling or drawing when students start to feel frustrated. Likewise, students who are starting to reach their emotional “tipping point: may benefit from physical movement, exercise, deep breathing, or visualization (Zhang et al., 2019).
Emotional outlet strategy examples
Journaling or drawing. Allowing space for this type of quiet, creative expression provides an outlet that is not disruptive to others.
Physical exercise. Providing time for stretching, walking, or even taking an outside running break can be a way to channel and remove frustration.
Relaxation techniques. Facilitate deep breathing or visualization exercises, such as picturing the details of a calming place in nature (i.e., beach, waterfall).
Encourage self-care. Remind students of the importance of getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and taking time to do things they enjoy.
Transition From Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation
Students who have difficulty with challenging situations are often focused on the short-term discomfort rather than the long-term benefit (Harrington, 2011). To address this, it is helpful to use techniques that transition the student with LFT from extrinsic to intrinsic motivators.
Transition in motivation strategy examples
Accomplishment of a larger task. If a research paper assignment is overwhelming, help students to see the benefits of accomplishing a larger task, such as increased self-confidence and the positive feelings that come with success (Filippello et al., 2018; Guderjahn et al., 2013).
Identify interests. Assist the student in identifying what is interesting to them about the project, which will increase motivation for learning itself.
Opportunities for self-direction and choice. Increase opportunities self-direction and choice, which will help the student to take more ownership of the task (Filippello et al., 2018).
Employ Accommodations and Modifications
A variety of accommodations and modifications exist that can support students with LFT in the learning environment. Specifically, teachers can provide preferential seating, reduce distractions, and build a comfortable relaxation nook (Beech, 2010; DeSchenes et al., 1994; Dunlap et al., 1996). Likewise, assignments can be modified to increase success. Example of such modifications include providing targeted reading passages that reduce the number of pages read or creating visual and organizational supports (DeSchenes et al., 1994; Dunlap et al., 1996). It is important to note that these traditional accommodation and modification techniques can benefit a variety of struggling learners, to include those without documented disabilities.
Accommodation and modification suggestions
Accommodations. Frequent breaks, extended time, preferential seating, audio or large print books, and text-to-speech applications.
Modifications. Targeted reading passages, chunking assignments into smaller sections, visual supports, organizational supports, and reducing answer options on multiple choice tests.
Interrupt Negative Self-Perceptions
Educators should facilitate encouraging self-talk when teaching challenging material. When negative responses to learning emerge, teachers should respond in ways that foster confidence and stamina, since research links student self-perceptions to success (Meindl et al., 2019; Sorrenti et al., 2019).
Interrupting self-perceptions examples
Guide students in positive self-talk. Negative thinking patterns can be counteracted by guiding students through positive expressions of self-talk (Harrington, 2011; Pouyamanesh & Firoozeh, 2013).
Teach recognition of negative thoughts. Teach students to recognize when they are stuck in a negative thought pattern in order to refocus and adopt a growth mindset (Zeng et al., 2016).
Provide praise for effort and progress. Support the process by providing praise for effort and progress as opposed to achievement, so that learners see that growth is of greater value than outcomes.
Conclusion
Frustration tolerance affects learning effectiveness. Students with LFT may exhibit uncooperative behavior when they encounter stressful or overwhelming situations. Those with learning disabilities are particularly affected, since the existing research has connected LFT with stressors caused by struggles to understand, process, and emotionally self-regulate. As a result, teachers who work with special education students should be aware of the warning signs of emotional dysregulation and apply strategies to increase learners’ capacity to handle frustration. These efforts can improve behavior, support emotional adaptability, and increase learning enjoyment. The importance of these strategies is paramount, since creating a more constructive classroom environment for all learners is well worth the time and effort.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.