The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), the negative effect of school-/class-average achievement on academic self-concept, is one of educational psychology's most universal findings. However, critiques of this research have proposed moderators based on achievement motivation theories. Nevertheless, because these motivational theories are not…

Studies primary school Chinese students living in Hong Kong to learn their causal attributions for examination results. Identifies age-related differences in perceived attainment, success expectancy, causal attributions, and achievement goals. Finds discrepancies with earlier Western studies and links these to Chinese socialization patterns where…

In the study of students' achievement behavior, it has been argued that learning goals that emphasize self-improvement rather than outperforming others are more desirable. This study examined how students' learning goal orientations were related to their theories of intelligence (e.g., whether intelligence is inborn). The subjects were 400 Chinese…