An Under-Achievement Scale

Abstract

IN THE STUDY of college academic success, one sees students whose level of achievement far exceeds that which might be expected from them according to some measurement of their scholastic aptitude. Likewise, some students fall considerably below their academic expect ancy. Therefore, the question of the non-intellectual characteristics up on achievement is raised. The present study is an attempt to develop a scale for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)(1) which might select out underand over-achievers. The first step was to obtain a group of college students who could be called over-achievers and another group who could be called under achievers. These two groups were determined on the basis of an individ ual's percentile rank on the American Council on Education Psychological Examination (ACE) administered to freshmen and his first semester grade point average at the University of Wisconsin. Assuming that the student with the average ACE percentile for his class theoretically should earn the mean first semester grade point average for his class, these two values were equated and the ACE percentile ranks and grade point averages were converted to standard scores. A student who earned a grade point average which was one-half a standard deviation above the grade point average corresponding to his ACE total score was called an over-achiever. The student who earned a grade point average one-half a standard deviation below the grade point average corresponding to his ACE total score was called an under-achiever. If his grade point average fell within these limits, i. e. (+. 5a) he was declared to be achieving up to expectancy. Since the expectancy range was probably exaggerated there seemed to be little doubt that the persons really belonged to the group to which they wer? assigned. The case records of all the first semester freshmen males at the University of Wisconsin who sought out the services of the Student Coun seling Center in their first semester of the 1947-48 school year were examined in order to obtain two extreme groups. Fifty male students fell into the under-achiever group and twenty-seven in the over -achiever group. An item analysis of the MMPI statements (card form) was completed for these groups. Twenty-one items were obtained which distinguished between the two groups with critical ratios of 2. 33 or greater. Since Altus (2) has reported a similar study on a college achiever and non achiever scale, his items were examined. Three additional items were added to this scale which were on the Altus scale and had critical ratios