Citation

Thompson T. Aust. Psychol. 1996; 31(1): 41-47.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Australian Psychological Society, Publisher Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1080/00050069608260175

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper reviews findings in relation to the self-worth theory of achievement motivation (Beery, 1975; Covington, 1984a, 1984b; Covington & Beefy, 1976; Covington & Omelich, 1979a). The purpose in doing so is to establish guidelines which may be used to advise counselling approaches for self-worth protective students. These are students who voluntarily withdraw effort in achievement situations in which poor performance is likely to reflect low ability. While low effort allows a sense of self-worth to be protected in the short term, long-term results include perpetuation of avoidance behaviours in situations which involve threat to self-esteem, substantial underachievement, and maintenance of low self-estimates of ability. Recommendations for counselling include cognitive restructuring as a means of altering unproductive perceptions and cognitions which lie at the heart of self-worth protection. These include a tendency to reject personal agency as cause of success, disproportionate emphasis given to achievement as a criterion of self-worth, and attributional uncertainty.