A method of graphing multivariate data, called the star plot, is very useful in educational contexts because it provides teachers and guidance counselors with information not present in unsupplemented student achievement data. The utility of the method can be seen in analysis of data from a study of factors related to the problem-solving ability of 29 male and 34 female fifth grade students. In the study, students completed self-report questionnaires relating to their perceptions of competence, self-worth, anxiety, and motivational orientation in the classroom. Correlations between performance and self-perception measures disclosed a relationship between performance and reported perception of competence, but did not reveal whether a high achieving student enjoyed challenging schoolwork or lacked confidence, or whether a low achiever was debilitated by anxiety or merely uninterested. To depict the magnitude of each student's responses on the study's self-perception measures, star plots were constructed. The plots showed that some low achievers were not motivated by punishment or reward, some high achievers were not interested in school work, and some high achievers were anxious in the classroom. In addition to delineating general characteristics of the group, star plots indicate ways in which certain students fail to fit the general pattern, and thus suggest reasons for student classroom behavior. (RH)