ABSTRACT

There is little doubt that failure has a variety of negative effects on subsequent achievement behaviour. These include diminished expectancies for success; negative emotions such as irritation, anxiety and humiliation; lowered self-estimates of ability and reduced intrinsic motivation (e.g. Baumeister & Tice, 1985). Each of these factors is known to mediate subsequent achievement behaviour. These effects are all the more pronounced for students with low self-esteem.