Coping with Achievement-Related Coping with Achievement-Related Failure: Failure:

An Examination of Conversations An Examination of Conversations Between FriendsBetween Friends

Ellen Rydell Altermatt, Elizabeth Broady,Ellen Rydell Altermatt, Elizabeth Broady,& Taryn Bellgard& Taryn Bellgard

Hanover CollegeHanover College

Funded by National Science Foundation Grant BCS-0236678

Responses to Achievement-Responses to Achievement-Related FailureRelated Failure

Mastery-oriented approach Mastery-oriented approach (Dweck, 1986)(Dweck, 1986) Maintain high expectations for future successMaintain high expectations for future success Report positive affectReport positive affect Demonstrate persistence in the face of challengeDemonstrate persistence in the face of challenge

Learned helpless approach Learned helpless approach (Dweck, 1986)(Dweck, 1986) Have diminished expectations for future successHave diminished expectations for future success Report negative affectReport negative affect Fail to persist in the face of challengeFail to persist in the face of challenge

What Role Do Social What Role Do Social Interactions Play?Interactions Play?

Hokoda and Fincham (1995)Hokoda and Fincham (1995) Mothers of mastery-oriented children were more likely to Mothers of mastery-oriented children were more likely to

offer assistance when their children requested it.offer assistance when their children requested it. Mothers of mastery-oriented children were less likely to Mothers of mastery-oriented children were less likely to

respond to self-critical statements (e.g., “I can’t do it.”) by respond to self-critical statements (e.g., “I can’t do it.”) by suggesting that their children discontinue the activity.suggesting that their children discontinue the activity.

Why Friends?Why Friends?

Children spend a substantial amount of time with friendsChildren spend a substantial amount of time with friends (e.g., Larson & Richards, 1991)(e.g., Larson & Richards, 1991)

Children seek the support and advice of friends during Children seek the support and advice of friends during times of stress times of stress (e.g., Causey & Dubow, 1992)(e.g., Causey & Dubow, 1992)

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

What are the features of children’s conversations with What are the features of children’s conversations with friends following achievement-related failure?friends following achievement-related failure?

Are the features of children’s conversations related to Are the features of children’s conversations related to changes in their responses to failure over time?changes in their responses to failure over time?

ParticipantsParticipants

Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade studentsFourth, fifth, and sixth grade students 116 friendship dyads116 friendship dyads

40 male dyads, 76 female dyads40 male dyads, 76 female dyads 70% Caucasian, 14% African-American, 7% Latino70% Caucasian, 14% African-American, 7% Latino

ProcedureProcedure

Ice-breaker activityIce-breaker activity Children worked on puzzles in separate roomsChildren worked on puzzles in separate rooms

Focal child received unsolvable puzzles Focal child received unsolvable puzzles Friend received either solvable (success condition) or Friend received either solvable (success condition) or

unsolvable puzzles (failure condition)unsolvable puzzles (failure condition) Children were reunited to discuss the taskChildren were reunited to discuss the task Children work on a final set of solvable problemsChildren work on a final set of solvable problems

QuestionnairesQuestionnaires

Mastery-Orientated Beliefs Mastery-Orientated Beliefs Baseline, Post-Failure, Post-discussionBaseline, Post-Failure, Post-discussion Sample ItemsSample Items

““I want to do the puzzles.”I want to do the puzzles.” ““I am confident that I will do well on the puzzles.”I am confident that I will do well on the puzzles.”

Reliability: Reliability: ααs = .81 to .91s = .81 to .91

Coding Children’s Coding Children’s ConversationsConversations

OverviewOverview 17,000 statements (17,000 statements (κκs = .71 to .99)s = .71 to .99)

8,441 focal child statements8,441 focal child statements 8,559 friend statements8,559 friend statements

75% of statements were on-task75% of statements were on-task

Statement TypesStatement Types

Performance Checks (e.g., How many [puzzles] did you solve?)Performance Checks (e.g., How many [puzzles] did you solve?)

Positive Performance Statements (e.g., I got them all.)Positive Performance Statements (e.g., I got them all.) Negative Performance Statements (e.g., I didn’t get any of mine.)Negative Performance Statements (e.g., I didn’t get any of mine.)

Positive Self-Evaluative Statements (e.g. I’m really good at puzzles.)Positive Self-Evaluative Statements (e.g. I’m really good at puzzles.) Negative Self-Evaluative Statements (e.g., I stink at puzzles.)Negative Self-Evaluative Statements (e.g., I stink at puzzles.)

Discounting Statements (e.g., I’m used to doing puzzles that attach.)Discounting Statements (e.g., I’m used to doing puzzles that attach.)

Help Seeking (e.g., How do you make the diamond?)Help Seeking (e.g., How do you make the diamond?) Help Giving (e.g., Okay. Well, you just need to look for a green one.)Help Giving (e.g., Okay. Well, you just need to look for a green one.)

Descriptive AnalysesDescriptive Analyses

Mastery-oriented beliefsMastery-oriented beliefs Features of conversationsFeatures of conversations

Mastery-Orientated BeliefsMastery-Orientated Beliefs

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Baseline Post-Failure Post-discussion

mas

tery

-ori

enta

ted

beli

efs

Male Focal Child Female Focal Child

Descriptive AnalysesDescriptive Analyses

Mastery-oriented beliefsMastery-oriented beliefs Features of conversationsFeatures of conversations

Gender Differences in Gender Differences in Performance ChecksPerformance Checks

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

% o

f to

tal s

tate

men

ts

Male Focal Child Female Focal Child

Predicting Mastery-Oriented Predicting Mastery-Oriented Beliefs Beliefs

Hierarchical regression analysesHierarchical regression analyses Dependent variableDependent variable

Mastery-oriented beliefs at post-discussionMastery-oriented beliefs at post-discussion Control variableControl variable

Mastery-oriented beliefs at post-failureMastery-oriented beliefs at post-failure Predictor variablesPredictor variables

Statement typeStatement type Gender (male, female)Gender (male, female) Condition (friend success, friend failure)Condition (friend success, friend failure)

Predicting Mastery-Oriented Predicting Mastery-Oriented BeliefsBeliefs

Statement Type Main EffectStatement Type Main Effect Discounting statements (FC), Discounting statements (FC), ββ = -.15, = -.15, pp < .01 < .01 Help-giving statements (Friend), Help-giving statements (Friend), ββ = .12, = .12, pp < .01 < .01

Predicting Mastery OrientationPredicting Mastery Orientation

Statement Type x Gender InteractionsStatement Type x Gender Interactions Negative performance statements (FC), Negative performance statements (FC), ββ= -.28, = -.28, pp < .001 < .001 Negative self-evaluative statements (FC), Negative self-evaluative statements (FC), ββ= -.19, = -.19, pp < .01 < .01

Negative Performance Negative Performance StatementsStatements

2

2.25

2.5

2.75

3

3.25

3.5

Low (-1 SD) High (+1 SD)

% of Negative Performance Statements

Mas

tery

Ori

enta

tion

Male Female

Negative Self-Evaluative Negative Self-Evaluative StatementsStatements

2

2.25

2.5

2.75

3

3.25

3.5

Low (-1 SD) High (+1 SD)

% of Negative Self-Evaluative Statements

Mas

tery

Ori

enta

tion

Male Female

Why the gender difference?Why the gender difference?

Sequential analysesSequential analyses What happens immediately after each statement type?What happens immediately after each statement type? Are particular sequences of statements more likely to occur Are particular sequences of statements more likely to occur

with boys than with girls?with boys than with girls?

Sequential AnalysesSequential AnalysesNegative Performance StatementsNegative Performance Statements

0

4

8

12

16

20

Performance Check Positive PerformanceStatement

Negative PerformanceStatement

Con

diti

onal

Pro

babi

lity

Male Friend Female Friend

Sequential AnalysesSequential AnalysesNegative Self-Evaluative StatementsNegative Self-Evaluative Statements

0

4

8

12

16

20

Negative Self-Evaluative Statement

Con

diti

onal

Pro

babi

lity

Male Friend Female Friend

Sample Conversation Between Sample Conversation Between GirlsGirls

FC: I can’t put puzzles together. As a matter of fact I think that I FC: I can’t put puzzles together. As a matter of fact I think that I may need to practice a little more. may need to practice a little more.

FR: I know… This was hard. FR: I know… This was hard. FC: [Laughs] …. I mean, I hated it. I was like, ok do this, do this, FC: [Laughs] …. I mean, I hated it. I was like, ok do this, do this,

and then she was like, ‘I’m sorry, but your time is up.’ and then she was like, ‘I’m sorry, but your time is up.’ FR: I know, she was like, ‘It’s time for the next one.’ I was like, um. FR: I know, she was like, ‘It’s time for the next one.’ I was like, um. FC: [Laughs]. Shoot! FC: [Laughs]. Shoot! FR: And then …. it was time for the next one.FR: And then …. it was time for the next one. FC: …I’m still shaking from doing it. FC: …I’m still shaking from doing it.

Co-RuminationCo-RuminationRose (2002)Rose (2002)

Co-rumination is characterized byCo-rumination is characterized by repeated discussion of the same problemrepeated discussion of the same problem mutual encouragement of discussing problemmutual encouragement of discussing problem

Girls are more likely to co-ruminate than are boysGirls are more likely to co-ruminate than are boys Co-rumination has tradeoffsCo-rumination has tradeoffs