Conceptions of Ability as Stable and Self‐Evaluative Processes: A Longitudinal Examination

Abstract

It has generally been taken for granted that conceiving of ability as stable leads to negative self-evaluative processes, particularly in the face of failure. Yet, a close examination of the empirical findings suggests that the picture may be more complex. In this research, a three-wave longitudinal design spanning 12 months was employed. Older elementary school children (N = 932) indicated their conceptions of academic and social ability as stable to external forces and to internal forces. They also provided information about the importance they place on academic and social competence, their knowledge about academic and social performance, their preference for academic challenge, their perceptions of academic and social competence, and their attributions for academic and social performance. Children's grades in school and their acceptance by peers were obtained as indicators of performance. Over time, conceiving of ability as stable to external forces, particularly in the academic domain, appeared to heighten the importance placed on competence, performance knowledge, preference for challenge, perceptions of competence, and self-enhancing attributions. In contrast, conceptions of ability as stable to internal forces, particularly in the academic domain, appeared to be fostered by placing little importance on competence, a lack of performance knowledge, avoidance of challenge, negative perceptions of competence, self-deprecating attributions, and poor performance.

Implicit theories and IQ test performance: A sequential mediational analysis

“…Some studies (Dupeyrat & Marine, 2005;Leondari & Gialamas, 2002) have not found this effect, and some researchers (Bempechat et al, 1991;Pomerantz & Saxon, 2001) have speculated that implicit theories may primarily influence affective outcomes rather than behavioral outcomes such as performance. However, the present results, in conjunction with a good deal of other research (e.g., Aronson et al, 2002;Cury et al, 2006;Good et al, 2003) clearly indicate that implicit theories can affect cognitive and behavioral processes and outcomes.…”

Development of Achievement Motivation

“…It should be noted that both sets of correlations were relatively weak. Pomerantz and Saxon (2001) concluded that seeing ability as stable, at least with respect to external forces, actually is a positive belief for children to have because of the pattern of its relations with other motivational beliefs and performance. By contrast, believing that ability is stable with respect to internal forces has negative implications for motivation and performance.…”

Achievement motivation across cultures: Some puzzles and their implications for future research

“…Clearly, it should not be presupposed that these are just different ways of expressing ideas about an equivalent construct. As Pomerantz and Saxon (2001) have observed, differing conceptions may be related to a variety of different student attitudes, beliefs, and outcomes. Equally, with regard to the apparently simpler concept of effort, not only time but the nature of study tasks and the degree of concentration involved in study may well be important subvariables, finding differing values in different cultures.…”