While a review by S. Graham (1994) found no differences between blacks and whites on measures of need for achievement, this meta-analysis article found reliable and complex race differences. Overall, whites scored higher on measures of need for achievement, although differences nearly disappeared in studies after 1970. Possible explanations are…

S. Graham comments on taking a meta-analytic approach to reviewing race differences in need for achievement, discussing limitations of the methodology. A rejoinder by H. Cooper and N. Dorr supports the utility of meta-analysis in such studies and discusses disadvantages to narrative review. (SLD)

Individual participation in athletics was examined as an achievement-oriented activity in which perceived parental support or pressure influence adolescents' perceptions of themselves and their performance. Results with 97 male and 57 female tennis players provide evidence of an association between perceptions of parental involvement and activity…

Examines and reviews eight young adult novels about Asian Americans, focusing on readability and the portrayal of stereotypes. Discussed are story lines, character development, gender roles, and the conclusion that, in all but one novel, Asian Americans are stereotyped as weak and inferior or as sex objects. (49 references/notes) (EA)

Discusses five myths associated with parents' giving praise or positive feedback to their children. Myths are children thrive on praise; praise increases a child's self-confidence; lavish praise is not addictive; praise motivates children; and parents should practice withholding praise to toughen up children. (BB)

Investigates the extents to which adolescents' achievement strategies are associated with the parenting styles they experience in their families. Respondents (N=354) identified four types of families: those with Authoritative; Authoritarian; Permissive; and Neglectful parenting styles. Results further reveal that adolescents from authoritative…

Examined the impact of student major on college persistence among freshmen. Differences found for various majors and gender are explained by differences in the relative magnitudes of goal-commitment, subject-interest, social-forces, and self-image effects. Provides some educational policy recommendations. (SLD)

Examines if externally imposed achievement goals influence what children learn from procedural instruction. Third- and 4th-grade children's goals were manipulated toward either learning or performance (N=77). Both initially and after a 2-week period, children who were given either goal were more likely to extend their knowledge beyond the taught…

Argues that little research has been directed toward exploring cognitive variables that characterize students with poor school attendance. Presents the findings of a pilot study that compared a small sample of truants and non-truants on locus of control and attributional style. Finds that attributional style is a significant factor in explaining…

Examines the biological, psychological, and social developmental changes that characterize the years from 6 to 14, and highlights ways in which the organization of programs, schools, and family life can support positive outcomes for youth. In these years children forge a personal identity and form a self-concept and orientation toward achievement…

Describes nine basic steps school leaders can follow to develop high-performance schools. (PKP)

Examines the effects of academic self efficacy and optimism on students' academic performance, stress, health, and commitment to remain in school. Results reveal that academic self efficacy and optimism were strongly related to performance and adjustment, both directly on academic performance and indirectly through expectations and coping…

Academic motivation as a predictor of academic performance for college athletes has been debated in the literature. This study examined the utility of academic and athletic motivation as a key variable in predicting academic performance among 211 college athletes at a Division I institution in the Midwest. After controlling for background…

This longitudinal field study examined the relationship between goal orientation and self-regulatory processes in an achievement context. Data was obtained from 132 students over a 10 week period. Results indicated that: (a) learning goal orientation was positively related to how much resources participants allocated to their goals and the degree…

In our previous work documenting benefits of both mastery and performance-approach goals, we assessed achievement goals for a particular type of student (specifically, the college student) in a particular type of classroom environment (specifically, the large introductory lecture). The current study sought to extend our initial work by testing…