Related Experiment Videos
Self-regulation and school performance: is there optimal level of action-control?
D F Lopez1, T D Little, G Oettingen
1Department of Psychology, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000, USA.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|July 29, 1998
Summary
Overestimating personal capabilities, particularly agency, was linked to improved school performance in children. This suggests that a positive self-belief can enhance academic achievement over time.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Self-Regulation
Background:
- Self-regulatory mechanisms are crucial for academic success.
- Psychological control and self-efficacy beliefs influence performance.
- Overestimation of capabilities is hypothesized to enhance performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between overestimating personal agency and subsequent school performance in children.
- To examine if moderate overestimations of agency have a stronger positive impact on performance.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design over two years with three data collection points.
- Path analysis used to model relationships between variables.
- Controlled for gender, grade, prior achievement, and intelligence.
Main Results:
- Overestimations of personal agency were consistently associated with improved subsequent school performance.
- The hypothesis that moderate overestimations would yield the strongest positive effect was not supported.
- The findings indicate a direct positive link between overestimating agency and performance enhancement.
Conclusions:
- Overestimating personal agency is a viable mechanism for maintaining and improving academic performance.
- Self-perceptions of capability play a significant role in educational outcomes.
- Future research could explore the nuances of self-efficacy and performance in educational settings.