published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the links among children's representations of attachment and their intelligence and academic achievement. John Bowlby's attachment theory is the framework used in this study to understand and explain differences in children's intelligence and academic achievement. Bowlby maintained that the quality of children's attachment to their caregivers exerts a strong influence on their ability and interest in investigating their environment. According to attachment theory, the quality of children's attachment to their primary caregivers would be expected to be associated with their intelligence and scholastic achievement. The findings from this study suggest that attachment patterns are significantly related to children's crystallized intelligence, which involves learning, knowledge and skills that are accumulated from past experiences. Attachment patterns were not significantly related to children's global intelligence or their academic achievement. The results of this study are relevant not only to attachment researchers but also school psychologists, parents, and teachers.

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No description available.

This study investigated the relationship between adaptive behavior and achievement when intelligence was statistically controlled. A random sample of 70 students of ages 6 through 11 was selected from a pool of subjects referred for individual psychological/educational evaluation. The sample, which consisted of students in a single, countywide school district in West Central Indiana, was stratified into two equal sized groups of ages 6 through 8 and 9 through 11. All subjects were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, and the Wide Range Achievement Test regression analysis showed a significant relationship between the composite of predictors including verbal IQ, performance IQ, full scale IQ, and deviation social quotient, and the criterion of reading and arithmetic, considered separately. Subsequent tests showed a significant relationship between deviation social quotient and reading and arithmetic, considered separately, when verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full scale IQ were controlled by the step down multiple regression procedure. Deviation social quotient accounted for approximately 6 and 8 per cent of the total variance in reading and arithmetic, respectively, when verbal, performance, and full scale IQs were statistically controlled.Present, results were considered tentative pending verification by further investigation of the relationship between adaptive behavior and academic achievement. Results were in opposition to prevalent adaptive behavior ideology, which suggested that adaptive behavior was an out-of-school dimension which had no relationship with academic achievement. Results tentatively suggested that consideration of adaptive behavior scores, which seemingly enhanced the prediction of reading arid arithmetic beyond that provided by intelligence, would help school psychologists formulate more responsible placement decisions. Results suggested the need for the development of new, more objective adaptive behavior assessment instruments. The tentative minding of a relationship between the Vineland, a nonschool test of adaptive behavior, and reading and arithmetic, when intelligence was controlled, presented the possibility that adaptive behavior is a generalized, nonenvironmentally specific attribute. This issue hopefully will be addressed in subsequent studies.

Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1996

Thesis (MPsych(Clin))--University of South Australia, 1998

Bibliography: leaves 215-232. / xvi, 313 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 2000?

The relationship between positive and negative perfectionism, and academic achievement, motivation and well-being in tertiary students was investigated. It was hypothesized that higher levels of positive perfectionism would be associated with higher academic achievement, higher achievement motivation, lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress, the use of more adaptive coping strategies, and positive personality variables, compared with negative perfectionists. Additionally, it was hypothesized that higher levels of negative perfectionism would be associated with lower levels of academic achievement, lower achievement motivation, higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress, the use of more maladaptive coping strategies, and negative personality variables. 99 first year tertiary students participated, 71 from the University of Canterbury, and 28 from the Christchurch College of Education. The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) was used to measure positive, negative and total levels of perfectionism. The short-form of the Ray Achievement Orientation Scale (Ray AO) was used to measure the level of achievement motivation. The NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI) was used to measure the "Big Five" personality variables (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience). The Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) was used to measure levels of positive and negative affect. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) was used to measure levels of depression, anxiety and stress. The COPE was used to measure the use of functional and dysfunctional coping strategies. Demographic and academic information were obtained from student's academic files. The results indicated that, generally, the hypotheses were correct. Positive perfectionism showed associations with higher academic achievement, higher achievement motivation, positive personality factors, and more use of functional forms of coping, while negative perfectionism showed associations with negative affect, depression, anxiety, stress, negative personality factors, and more use of dysfunctional coping strategies. It is therefore concluded that positive perfectionism can have a positive association with academic achievement, achievement motivation and general well-being, while negative perfectionism can have a negative association with these factors. Many individuals are concerned with meeting high standards for performance. Consequently, the concept of perfectionism has been studied increasingly in the last few decades. The concept has evolved to now being formally defined, theoretically integrated and empirically measured (Flett & Hewitt, 2002a; Flett & Hewitt, 2002b; Rheaume, Freeston, Dugas, Letarte & Ladouceur, 1995).