SELF-RECOGNITORY SCHEMES AND ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIOR: A DEVELOPMENT STUDY
Abstract
A reformulated approach to self-awareness is considered. A sequence of development for structures associated with the self is advanced. Developments in the conception of ability are considered in greater detail. The development of an understanding of ability as capacity, and the recognition that lower effort can imply higher ability, formed the basis for the deduction of hypotheses regarding the development of achievement behavior. Sixty second graders and sixty sixth graders were told that anagrams (task 2) were of moderate or high difficulty following failure at a series of matching familiar figures tasks or were assigned to a solvable task/moderate difficulty control group. It was predicted that, for mature subjects who had failed consistently on the first task, performance impairment would occur on the second task when the task was perceived to be of appropriate difficulty. This was presumed to occur as a result of recognizing that threats to self-perception of ability can be avoided by not trying. When the task was perceived to be inappropriately difficult this threat to self-esteem can be dismissed and impairment was not expected. This prediction was confirmed. No similar effects were revealed for immature sixth graders or second graders. It was also found that, at least among second graders, telling girls that the anagram task was hard impaired performance while boys were affected differently. Grade level difficulty choices for a fictitious third task were not affected by the experimental conditions. The findings from mature subjects support the formulation that Snyder et al. (1978) refer to as "egotism" while the effects that occurred among second grade girls support "learned helplessness" (Seligman, 1975). It is concluded that neither formulation is wrong, but neither is truly adequate. The proposed approach predicts both effects on the basis of schemes of self available to each age group. As a consequence, the use of developmental variation in cognition can serve to clarify the relationship of cognition and behavior in adults.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
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