A recent study in our research group found that social comparison concern (SCC) was a medium strength predictor of course grades while controlling for demographic factors and standardized test scores. Additionally, students belonging to underrepresented communities (women and Underrepresented ethnic minorities) had significantly higher SCC than their majority counterparts. In the introductory physics course sequence, exam grades account for 55% of a student's grade and we investigate the evolution and associations between exam grades and Social Comparison Concern (SCC) among students taking the course. The SCC is a scale measuring the concern over one's own ability or performance relative to others, and we hypothesize a mutual influence between grades and SCC. In Study 1 we find evidence that SCC partially mediates the relationship between the first two midterms, accounting for 7% of the direct effect. This mediation indicates that a student's score on midterm can impact a student's feelings of SCC and therefore impact a student's performance on the subsequent midterm. In Study 2 and 3, we find evidence that exam scores partially mediate changes in SCC scores, and in turn SCC scores partially, albeit weakly, mediate changes in exam scores. For all three studies we find that SCC scores are significantly correlated with exam scores and only very weakly correlated with the non-exam grade component. Overall, the results provide evidence for a dynamic feedback loop in which SCC may either negatively or positively interfere with student performance on exams. Finally, Study 4 implements a novel design of weekly measurement and extends our investigation to the construct of psychological vulnerability, which we propose consists of SCC as well as several other social-psychological factors. In this preliminary study we used growth analysis model and find that psychological vulnerability experiences a significant increase directly after the midterm exams, which is the time they receive the exam grades. This further supports our hypothesis that there is potential influence of exams on psychological factors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]