Beliefs in internal-external control of reinforcements and academic performance.

Abstract

2 separate studies are reported, each using subjects in grades ranging from elementary school through high school. The predictor measures in both cases were the degree to which the child perceives that he, rather than someone or something else, causes his successes and his failures in academicintellectual situations. The dependent variables were two measures of academic performance: course grades, and achievement test scores. While prediction of girls' performance scores was equally consistent from beliefs in their own instrumentality for successes and for failures, boys' performance scores were more consistently related to beliefs in responsibility for failure. In general, there was greater consistency of prediction across age levels for grades received than for achievement test scores.