Underachievers′ Cognitive and Behavioural Strategies - Self-Handicapping at School

Abstract

The aim of the two studies was to examine whether underachievers apply a self-handicapping or learned helplessness strategy in achievement contexts. In Study 1, twenty-four 13-to 14-year old underachievers and 24 of their matched-pair controls, and 24 acheivers and 24 of their matched pairs controls were asked to fill in Rosenburg′s Self-Esteem scale, the revised Beck′s Depression Inventory, and various questionnaires measuring their cognitive and attributional strategies. The subjects were also rated by their teachers according to the strategies they used. In Study 2, sixteen low-achieving pupils, 20 vocational school pupils, and 21 senior high school pupils, aged between 14 and 19, filled in the same questionnaires. Both of these studies showed that underachievers seem to apply a self-handicapping strategy rather than learned helplessness: they showed lower self-esteem but higher levels of failure expectation and task-irrelevant behavior than the pupils in the control groups. No differences were found in causal attributions or depression.