Freshman student reasons for success and failure at a forthcoming examination are examined. Students ascribed possible success more to internal than external factors but attributed possible failure almost equally to these factors. Luck was perceived to be of relatively minor significance. Male/female differences are examined. (Author/MSE)

In this case study of a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed adolescents, evaluative data demonstrated that Gestalt Therapy was neither designed nor intended for use in an institutional setting with severely disturbed young adolescents, with people of lower socioeconomic status or of low verbal skill and intelligence. (Author/SJL)

The implications that students often minimize study to avoid the implication that they lack ability if they fail is examined. Results indicated that although effort stability contributed little to variations in student affect, it did influence teacher judgments. (Author/GK)

The problems and progress of a group of students designated as disadvantaged upon college entry and demographic factors that may be critical predictors of disadvantaged students' academic failure in a course are examined. Special advising and intervention are recommended, so that students need not take the initiative to seek help. (MSE)

Factors that may be responsible for the failure of some open education programs include: (1) lack of teacher training and know-how to implement a successful program; (2) negative reactions from parents; and (3) few incentives or workshops dealing with philosophies or techniques in open education. (CM)

In this essay recounting a midcareer faculty review, Vilma Hernandez is the fictitious name of a faculty member originally hired for affirmative action reasons who fails because of her inability to solicit support and the university's failure to offer it. Concludes that the university allowed her to fail. (JMF)

Atkinson and Birch's dynamic theory of action is discussed with regard to achievement motivation theory. Implications are derived that are in contrast to expectations derived from traditional episodic theories. Implications of dynamic theory for the theory of fear of failure are discussed. Recent results support the dynamic theory. (Author/RD)

Examined factors in the academic environment and student services that inhibited or enhanced women's efforts to complete their education. There were unique obstacles and interests for females, especially in the areas of career counseling, finances, program formats and content, and personal safety. (Author)

Two experiments were conducted to examine the role of sex differences in learned helplessness in the generalization of failure experience. Subjects in experiment 1 were fifth graders and subjects in experiment 2 were fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. (MP)

This case study describes different traditional and sensory approaches to reading which were tried unsuccessfully with Jim, a third-grade nonreader, until a breakthrough was made by teaching him Exact English Signing. The author speculates that other techniques, such as braille, might also help the learning disabled. (SJL)

A mailed survey was used to assess the type of training to which trainable mentally retarded youth were assigned and to identify work related problems of job failure and placement. (Author/SBH)

Fifth-grade boys solved sets of achievement-related puzzles, working in pairs in which one succeeded and one failed. Results showed the reward structure of the performance setting was an important determinant of self and interpersonal evaluations. Competitive conditions caused self-punitive behavior for failure outcomes and some ego-enhancing…

This experiment investigated the effects of success and failure experiences on subsequent self-ratings of positive and negative social-psychological characteristics. Teacher trainees (N=60) were assigned to success, failure, or control experiences. Subjects who experienced success made significantly greater gains in positive self-assessments, and…

A replication was conducted of part of J. Turnure and E. Zigler's (1964) experiment in which they assessed whether outerdirectedness was a function of failure experiences. (Author)

Investigates the attribution of success and failure in five naturally occurring clusters of 7th-grade students (N=217): Popular Insiders, Ambitious Insiders, Outsiders, Alienated Disengaged, and Invisible Students. Discusses the achievement attributions of each cluster and argues that school counselors need to understand achievement-related…