Attributions of potential high-risk college students

Abstract

This study explored the reasons why students with poor academic backgrounds select higher education as a means of career preparation. The study investigated the attributions of students who were nearing completion of high school with respect to their past academic performance and, for those planning to attend college, the attributions of their anticipated future scholastic performance. The attributions of potential high-risk college students were compared to those of potential lower risk college students. The primary research questions were: (1) Do potential high-risk college students attribute past academic failures to external locus of control more than do lower risk students? (2) Do the individuals in the high-risk category consider past academic performance as predictive of future outcomes as do those in the lower risk category? (3) Do the high-risk students consider themselves helpless to control environmental events to a greater extent than do lower risk students? The sample consisted of 529 male and 554 female graduating seniors in high schools in Central Texas during the Spring 1983 semester. Results of the study support an affirmative response to research question one. Results relating to research question two found no significant difference between groups on attributions of future performance. The third research question was answered in the affirmative. Results were discussed in terms of significance relative to the target populations. Implications for additional research were also discussed.