ABSTRACT
Inevitably, failure-avoidant behaviours will occur despite every best effort on the part of teachers to create a climate which minimises evaluative threat and sources of noncontingent evaluative feedback. These conditions perpetuate attributional uncertainty, reinforce uncertain self-images and consolidate low self-estimates of ability. Discussion in previous chapters has demonstrated that certain students — those who possess the personality characteristics mentioned in Chapter 6 — are likely to have a dispositional tendency towards failure-avoidant strategies. This given, counselling intervention may be necessary. As a consequence, appropriate guidelines for counselling these students are required.
