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The Academic Overachiever: Stereotyped Aspects

Author(s):
Myers, Robert C.
Publication Year:
1950
Report Number:
RB-50-06
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
13
Subject/Key Words:
Attitude Measures, Females, Interest Inventories, Overachievement., Response Style (Tests), Stereotypes

Abstract

An attitude-interest questionnaire was administered just after admission to the freshman class at an eastern women's college. At the end of the freshman year the highest overachievers and the lowest underachievers were determined by comparing College Entrance Examination Board verbal and mathematical scholastic aptitude scores with freshman-year grade-point-average. Subsequent analysis of questionnaire item responses by the Chi-square technique showed 45 items to have differentiated between these overachievers and underachievers. The majority of these items (57.8 per cent) were found to be within the "academic overachiever" stereotype of a group of expert judges as well as within the "successful college student" stereotype of the following year's entering freshmen at this college. Only 15.5 per cent of the significant items were found to be wholly outside the stereotypes of both experts and students.

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