Biomaterial Database

Children's beliefs in internal-external control and self-esteem as related to academic achievement. 1977

D A Gordon

Previous work has shown high self-esteem to be related to an internal locus of control (LOC) orientation. Both have been shown to be related to academic achievement. It was hypothesized that LOC and self-esteem are each independently related to achievement, and that these relationships may vary according to the sex of the child and the measure of achievement used. Subjects were 113 ten-year-old, fourth grade children, 60 males and 53 females. They were administered questionnaire measures of LOC and self-esteem (Nowicki-Strickland and Piers-Harris). An internal LOC orientation was significantly related to greater academic achievement and high self-esteem. Males' LOC scores were related to grade point averages and not achievement test scores, while the reverse held for females. Differential socialization of females from males might account for the lack of a relationship between grades and LOC.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007389	Internal-External Control	Personality construct referring to an individual's perception of the locus of events as determined internally by his or her own behavior versus fate, luck, or external forces. (ERIC Thesaurus, 1996).	Locus of Control,External-Internal Control,Sense of Control,Control Locus,Control, External-Internal,Controls, External-Internal,Controls, Internal-External,Internal-External Controls
D008297	Male		Males
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000124	Achievement	Success in bringing an effort to the desired end; the degree or level of success attained in some specified area (esp. scholastic) or in general.	Accomplishment,Accomplishments,Achievements
D012649	Self Concept	Persons' view of themselves.	Self Esteem,Self Perception,Self Confidence,Self-Perception,Concept, Self,Confidence, Self,Esteem, Self,Perception, Self,Perceptions, Self,Self Esteems,Self Perceptions,Self-Perceptions
D012737	Sex Factors	Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances.	Factor, Sex,Factors, Sex,Sex Factor
D012938	Social Perception	The perceiving of attributes, characteristics, and behaviors of one's associates or social groups.	Perception, Social,Perceptions, Social,Social Perceptions
D012951	Socialization	The training or molding of an individual through various relationships, educational agencies, and social controls, which enables him to become a member of a particular society.	Socializations