Maternal Attitudes and the Non-Achievement Syndrome

This study investigated the relationship between the mother-child relationship and academic achievement. The population consisted of 45 male achievers and underachievers from a local suburban high school and their mothers. The nature of the mother-child relationship was measured by the Mother—Child Relationship Evaluation. Generally it was found that mothers of achievers were more accepting of their children than were mothers of underachievers. Further, achievers and underachievers differed in the ability to perceive accurately the maternal attitudes. These findings were interpreted in terms of the etiology of underachievement as described by Roth and Meyersburg in the Non-Achievement Syndrome. These dynamics involve maternal rejection and the attempts of the underachiever to maintain a dependent relationship with the parents, and the avoidance of adolescent independence via underachievement.     

Achievers and underachievers: A comparative study of fear of success,education and career goals,and conception of woman's role among high school senior girls

Two groups of 16 high school senior girls, achievers and underachievers, were compared on the following variables: educational and career goals, conception of woman's role, and fear of success (FOS). Chi-square analyses showed significant differences between groups with regard to their goals. Achievers aspired significantly higher than underachievers in their educational goals. In addition, they were significantly more contemporary in their career goals and more committed to these goals than the underachievers. In contrast to underachievers, achievers also had a more contemporary view of the roles women should assume in society and, on the other hand, showed more FOS in fantasies about women succeeding in contemporary roles, but these differences did not reach statistical significance.     

Gifted Achievers and Underachievers: A Comparison of Patterns Found in School Files

Underachievement in gifted students has perplexed educators and parents for decades. Researchers are continually looking for information about the nature and patterns of gifted underachievers that will enlighten those concerned. Counselors are particularly involved, because they often are asked to provide illumination and interventions. This study demonstrates how information in the cumulative school file, accessible to the school counselor, is a rich resource for understanding the patterns of achievement and underachievement among students identified as gifted and for use in planning interventions for students at risk for underachievement. Participants were gifted students (N = 153) who were determined to be either achievers or under-achievers, based on their grade point average at graduation. High and moderate achievers and moderate and extreme underachievers were compared on information found in the school file, such as attendance, tardiness, course selection, and onset and duration of underachievement. Results indicate that there are differences between achievers and underachievers on a number of variables found in the school files. Profiles of these groups are presented with suggestions for actions by counselors.     

Cultural expression and black students' attitudes toward high achievers

The authors of the present study have extended research by D. Marryshow that investigated African American students' attitudes toward 4 high achievers who differed in their approach to high achievement. D. Marryshow (1992) assessed students' social attitudes and perceptions of 4 high achievers with culturally distinct achievement orientations. In the present research, the authors assessed students' academic attitudes and perceptions of the same 4 high achievers. In addition, the present study includes Black children's predictions of their parents' and peers' attitudes toward these high achieving students. The results generally supported the authors' hypothesis that African American children would report a preference for students who achieve via attitudes and behaviors congruent with African American cultural values. The children also predicted that their parents and their Black peers would prefer these same African American culturally oriented high achievers. The findings suggest that Black children who prefer African American cultural modes of achievement may find themselves at odds with classroom demands geared toward learning in the mainstream cultural mode and thus may be at increased risk of academic failure.     

Personality Characteristics of Achieving and Underachieving High Ability Senior Women

This study utilized the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and the Gough Adjective Check List (ACL) in an investigation of the relationship between personality characteristics and academic achievement in gifted university women. Several scales of the CPI differentiated achievers from underachievers. In addition, achieving and underachieving women described themselves differently on the ACL. As defined in this study, the achieving women were more highly socialized than the underachieving women.     

Chronic learning problems and maturation

An analysis of test scores of a longitudinal sample of normal children, who placed in the lowest quartile of the class on the California Achievement Test and children in the highest quartile yielded significant differences on three perceptual-motor tests and on Piaget's preoperational and precausal tests at Kindergarten level. Although matched for IQ in Kindergarten, significant IQ differences appeared in Grade 1 and continued to increase over 5 yr., as those on other tests. Cattell's Early School Personality Questionnaire indicated that low achievers were significantly less mature and more tense and anxious than high achievers from Grades 1 through 5. Maturational lag is hypothesized for retardation of learning.     

Underachievement is many-sided

The concept of underachievement, though widely used and voluminously researched, is still ill-defined. The reason seems to be that underachievers are defined merely in terms of the discrepancy between their predicted and earned grades. So classified, the groups are too heterogeneous to be psychologically meaningful. There are different types of achievers and underachievers who need to be identified and different educational climates that need to be studied, if the concept of underachievement is to become productive in our thinking about high school and college students     

Longitudinal study of low and high achievers in early mathematics

Background. Longitudinal studies allow us to identify, which specific maths skills are weak in young children, and whether there is a continuing weakness in these areas throughout their school years. Aims. This 2‐year study investigated whether certain socio‐demographic variables affect early mathematical competency in children aged 5–7 years. Sample. A randomly selected sample of 127 students (64 female; 63 male) participated. At the start of the study, the students were approximately 5 years old (M= 5.2; SD= 0.28; range = 4.5–5.8). Method . The students were assessed using the Early Numeracy Test and then allocated to a high (n= 26), middle (n= 76), or low (n= 25) achievers group. The same children were assessed again with the Early Numeracy Test at 6 and 7 years old, respectively. Eight socio‐demographic characteristics were also evaluated: family model, education of the parent(s), job of the parent(s), number of family members, birth order, number of computers at home, frequency of teacher visits, and hours watching television. Results . Early Numeracy Test scores were more consistent for the high‐achievers group than for the low‐achievers group. Approximately 5.5% of low achievers obtained low scores throughout the study. A link between specific socio‐demographic characteristics and early achievement in mathematics was only found for number of computers at home. Conclusions . The level of mathematical ability among students aged 5–7 years remains relatively stable regardless of the initial level of achievement. However, early screening for mathematics learning disabilities could be useful in helping low‐achieving students overcome learning obstacles.     

Lost confidence and potential: a mixed methods study of underachieving college students’ sources of self-efficacy

This study investigated the sources of self-efficacy of college students enrolled in a learning frameworks course, whom we identified as underachievers. Through weekly journal entries, the group of underachievers ( \(n=13\) ) cited the factors that made them feel confident or not confident. Students’ responses to open-ended prompts were coded according to Bandura’s (Self-efficacy: the exercise of control, W.H. Freeman, New York, 1997) four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy and an additional emergent theme of self-regulated learning. After, through student responses on a self-report survey, we compared the group of underachievers to a group of achievers ( \(n=36\) ) on their self-efficacy and its sources. Both quantitative and qualitative results underscored the importance of mastery experiences for underachievers. The underachievers had significantly less mastery experiences and verbal persuasions despite having similar levels of self-efficacy. Implications for how to cultivate mastery and to provide efficacy-supportive feedback as well as psychological mechanisms regarding high potential underachievers are discussed.     

Multivariate Relationships Between Motor and Personality Measures in Culturally Deprived High School Pupils

The relationship between personality, as measured by the IPAT-HSPQ, and certain motor performance variables was studied by utilizing the multivariate technique of canonical correlation. Ss for the study were 91 culturally deprived high school students who were achieving well below their expected capacity. A significant canonical relationship was not found between the domains of personality and motor performance. Also, no significant relationships between motor sub-domains and personality were found. It was thus concluded that for the population under study, the domains of motor performance and personality were independent Some discussion of the multivariate technique of canonical correlation was offered and compared with univariate procedures.     

目标显著性和任务重要性对数学学业不良生和学优生前瞻记忆和前瞻干扰效应的影响

有问卷调查表明,个体的学业成绩特别是数学成绩与前瞻记忆表现有一定的相关,学业不良生报告更多的前瞻记忆失败。也有实验研究显示,学业不良生在很多情况下前瞻记忆表现劣于学优生。但是,影响学业不良生前瞻记忆表现的因素却并不是很明确。本研究从目标显著性和任务重要性这两个可以着手于改善前瞻记忆的主要因素入手,考察其对数学学业不良生和学优生事件性前瞻记忆和前瞻干扰效应的影响,以期为提高学业不良生的前瞻记忆表现提供实证依据。 采用2学业成就（学业不良生、学优生）×2前瞻记忆任务重要性（强调重要、不强调）×2目标显著性（显著、不显著）混合实验设计,目标显著性为被试内变量,其他两个因素为被试间变量,在双任务实验范式（前瞻记忆任务镶嵌于进行中任务）中,考察三个因素对前瞻记忆正确率和反应时的影响。此外,被试还需完成基线条件,在基线条件下被试只有进行中任务,没有前瞻记忆任务,通过实验条件和基线条件的正确率和反应时差异,考察前瞻记忆任务对进行中任务的干扰效应,推测前瞻记忆的加工机制。结果表明,学业不良生在所有前瞻记忆任务表现均劣于学优生;目标显著性与前瞻记忆任务重要性对前瞻记忆正确率有显著的交互作用,强调任务重要性使目标不显著条件下的前瞻记忆正确率提高,对显著条件的前瞻记忆正确率没有影响。强调任务重要性使所有实验条件的前瞻记忆反应时下降,目标显著使所有实验条件的前瞻记忆正确率提高。所有实验条件进行中任务正确率低于基线条件,反应时也慢于基线条件,表明执行前瞻记忆任务对进行中任务产生了干扰,学业不良生和学优生在本实验条件下对前瞻记忆任务均采用监控的加工方式。结果说明,学业不良生前瞻记忆成绩较差,可以通过设置显著的目标提高其前瞻记忆成绩,当目标显著时无需强调其重要性,若无法设置显著的目标,则通过强调任务重要性提高前瞻记忆表现。     

The longitudinal effects of early identification and counseling of underachievers

This study examined the effects of early identification and psychological services on underachievement through a follow-up study conducted six years later. One hundred and seventeen fourth-grade underachievers had been identified through a regression equation and were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received psychological services during their fourth, fifth, and sixth grades from a team of university professors. Psychological services were primarily adult centered, focusing on the redirection of parents and teachers who were the primary influence on the lives of these underachievers. Follow-up studies of them at high school graduation indicated that differences between these groups reached at least the .05 level of significance for class rank, the ACT composite, the ITED composite and its subtests, and level of educational and vocational performance after high school graduation. Differences which were not statistically significant were found for pregraduation aspirations for the immediate future.     

CPQ validity: The relationship between Children's Personality Questionnaire scores and teacher ratings

Scores on the Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ) were correlated with scores from rating scale items selected by a panel of raters measuring the same behavior as a CPQ scale. Data were obtained on a normal sample of school children in grades three to six and on two referred groups, underachievers and chilren with behavior or social problems. The teachers of the children were asked to complete two rating scales on each child. Correlations between rating scale scores and CPQ scores suggest that, in general, the CPQ does not measure the traits it purports to measure.     

Impact of learning orientation on African American children's attitudes toward high-achieving peers

This study examined Ogbu's widely accepted thesis that African American students reject high academic achievement because they perceive its limited utility in a world where their upward mobility is constrained by racial discrimination. Boykin's psychosocial integrity model contends that Black students value high achievement but that discrepancies between their formative cultural experiences and those imposed in school lead them to reject the modes of achievement available in classrooms. Ninety Black children completed a measure of attitudes toward students who achieve via mainstream or African American cultural values. Participants rejected the mainstream achievers and embraced the African American cultural achievers. Moreover, they expected their teachers to embrace the mainstream achievers and reject those who achieved through high-verve behavior. Results suggest that Boykin's thesis is a needed refinement to Ogbu's ideas. They indicate that Black children may reject not high achievement but some of the mainstream cultural values and behaviors on which success in mainstream classrooms is made contingent.     

Independent effects of bilingualism and socioeconomic status on language ability and executive functioning

One hundred and seventy-five children who were 6-years old were assigned to one of four groups that differed in socioeconomic status (SES; working class or middle class) and language background (monolingual or bilingual). The children completed tests of nonverbal intelligence, language tests assessing receptive vocabulary and attention based on picture naming, and two tests of executive functioning. All children performed equivalently on the basic intelligence tests, but performance on the language and executive functioning tasks was influenced by both SES and bilingualism. Middle-class children outperformed working-class children on all measures, and bilingual children obtained lower scores than monolingual children on language tests but higher scores than monolingual children on the executive functioning tasks. There were no interactions with either group factors or task factors. Thus, each of SES and bilingualism contribute significantly and independently to children’s development irrespective of the child’s level on the other factor.     

Significant Content of Group Counseling Sessions with Culturally Deprived Ninth Grade Students

Some examples are presented of the problems and concerns that were verbalized and discussed during group counseling sessions with 4 groups (36 students) of culturally deprived white ninth grade boys and girls. The examples cited indicate that among these culturally deprived students there is a general lack of identification with school, a pattern of employing inappropriate means to gain acceptance and recognition, a philosophy of life geared toward immediate material gratification, and parental models that do not result in positive parental identification. There seems to be little hope for these students in their present situation unless they receive some help and support from interested others outside their group. It is suggested that group counseling, for considerably more than the 15 sessions given these students, may afford a means by which the school and the counselor can help the culturally deprived find an effective way to deal with the dilemma in which they find themselves.     

A longitudinal study of bilingual and cognitive development(1)

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of IQ data collected over a 5-year period (Grades K-4) on pupils enrolled in a French immersion program (anglophone pupils receiving all instruction in French except English language arts) and pupils in the regular English program. Although year-by-year results may fail to show IQ differences between the two groups, repeated measures analysis indicates that the immersion group has a higher IQ measure over the 5-year period. However, considering Grades 1–3 only, which involved the administration of the same test, the two groups do not score differentially with respect to either overall IQ measure or specific subtest scores (classification/categorization, analogies, following of verbal directions) when scores are adjusted for initial IQ (and age) differences, thus failing initially to support studies which show positive relationships between bilingualism and cognitive functioning. However, supportive of those studies is a further analysis on the data of immersion pupils classified as “high” French achievers vs. “low” French achievers. The high French achievers obtain significantly higher IQ measures and subtest scores (analogies and following of verbal directions) than the low French achievers, even when scores are adjusted for initial IQ and age differences. These findings are interpreted in the context of Cummins' (1976) “threshold” hypothesis relating to level of competence in the second language.     

Sensitivity to general and specific numerical features in typical achievers and children with mathematics learning disability

We examined the development of sensitivity to general and specific numerical features in typical achievers and in 6th and 8th graders with mathematics learning disability (MLD), using two effects in mental multiplication: operand-relatedness (i.e., difficulty in avoiding errors that are related to the operands via a shared multiplication row) and decade-consistency (i.e., difficulty in avoiding errors that are operand related and also share a decade with the true result). Responses to decade-consistent products were quick but erroneous. In line with the processing sequence in adults, children first became sensitive to the general numerical feature of operand-relatedness (typical achievers—from 3rd grade; children with MLD in 8th grade) and only later to the specific feature of decade-consistency (typical achievers—from 4th grade, but only from 6th grade in a mature pattern). Implications of the numerical sensitivity in children with MLD are discussed.     

Concrete operational thought in children with learning disabilities and children with normal achievement.

This study compared Piagetian cognitive development in normal achieving children and two groups of children with learning disabilities designated as either auditory-linguistic or visual-spatial on the basis of Verbal-Performance IQ differences on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R; 1974). The two groups with learning disabilities were matched with normal achieving controls on intelligence, socioeconomic status, sex, race, and age. Piagetian tasks measuring conservation, seriation, and classification were administered to each child to determine level of operative thought. The auditory-linguistic group scored significantly below normal controls in operativity, and significantly fewer were at a concrete operational level on a conservation of length task than were normal achieving children. The visual-spatial group did not differ significantly from normal controls. These results suggest that auditory-linguistic disabilities may be more detrimental than visual-spatial disabilities to development of operativity.     

In Support of the Concept of Underachievement

The term underachievement has still not been completely accepted by educators, although research findings suggest that it is associated with various developmental problems and that it begins early in a child's educational career and becomes increasingly worse with time. The achievement patterns of 1,078 fourth grade students in the public schools of west central Wisconsin were assessed by relating on a scattergram their performances on widely used achievement and intelligence tests. Underachievers, achievers, and overachievers were then determined through a regression equation. Comparisons of these groups on 9 developmental variables indicated differences favoring the overachievers and the achievers in each case. These differences reached the 1 per cent level of significance for 7 of the 9 variables.