Abstract
Almost any study one conducts on achievement motivation is likely to turn up sex differences, provided subjects of both sexes are included. At an earlier time, these differences seemed to represent nuisance value for achievement motivation re-seachers. The scene has changed dramatically. The cry is now, “vive la difference.” We actively seek sex differences, though the ultimate aim is often their elimination.
When this chapter was written John Nicholls was Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Educational Psychology, University of Illinois. Present address, Department of Educational-Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN., 47907.
This chapter is a revision of a paper presented at a conference on cross-cultural sex differences in achievement motivation at the Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, March 31, 1978.
The studies including Polynesian children were supported by a grant from the Nuffield Foundation, London, to John Nicholls at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The contribution of Rosemary Sutton to this work is gratefully acknowledged as is Margaret Collinge’s assistance with the second study described. The cooperation of schools and officers of the Wellington Education Board is also acknowledged with thanks.
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Nicholls, J.G. (1980). A Re-examination of Boys’ and Girls’ Causal Attributions for Success and Failure Based on New Zealand Data. In: Fyans, L.J. (eds) Achievement Motivation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-8997-3_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-8997-3_12
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