An Empirical Study of the Incidence, Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-Up of Academically Under-Achieving Children

Abstract

The well-known view that success leads to success and failure or frustration with learning to more failure has been investigated by Keister and Updegraff (1937). This has also been proved correct in recent years (Latta, 1978). Ample research observations exist concerning under-achievement and its aetiology or associated features. One of the more recent pieces of research refers to parental influences on a child's capacity to achieve academically (Su, 1976). Su surveyed the perceptions of parents of 352 male and female Junior high-school students who were classified as high, medium or low achievers on the basis of the differences between their expected and actual scores in school examinations. Only students scoring between 90 and 135 on the Army General Classification Test were included. Attitudes towards parents were assessed with ‘the parent/child relationship questionnaire’. Results indicate that high achievers perceive their parents more favourably than do low achievers, rating them higher in giving love and respect. Low achievers felt more rejection and neglect, and received fewer symbolic rewards and more symbolic punishments. Males more than females perceived their parents as demanding and not as showing love and care. Both males and females felt their mothers were more rejecting than their fathers.