Academic Performance

Paper Summary:

In this article the writer notes that explanatory style is a cognitive personality variable that reflects the habitual manner in which people explain the causes of bad events that befall them. The writer further points out that researchers believe that attributional style can help provide a better understanding of behaviors and consequences that affect one's performance and actions. This research aims to use this theory together with other variables and correlate this with students' GPAs, to see what factors interact or are able to predict academic performance. The writer highlights that before this takes place, however, it is important to understand the students and some of the problems and stresses that they face, so that their academic performance and how they react to certain issues can be better understood.

From the Paper:

"Stress is generally a good thing as all individuals must have some stress to survive. However, when students have too much stress in their lives or the stress is perceived as being a negative event then psychological and physical impairments can sometimes be seen. There are ways that students can reduce stress in school but they have to work at what they are doing and learn how to get enough social support, enough time for leisure and enjoyment, and manage their time correctly. If students are not able to meet any type of personal need through different leisure activities or hobbies they may feel as though the stress that they must deal with in classes and during exams is actually much stronger than what it really is."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burns, M.O. & Seligman, M.E.P. (1989). Explanatory style across the life span: evidence for stability over 52 years. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(3): 471-477.
• Curren, M.T. & Harich, K.R. (1993). Performance attributions: effects of mood and involvement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 8(4): 605-609.
• Dobbins, J.E. & Skillings, J.H. 2000. Racism as a clinical syndrome. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70(1).
• Gotlib, I.H. (2002) Explanatory style: a question of balance. University of Western Ontario. EBSCO Publishing.
• Franklin, A.J. & Boyd-Franklin, N. 2000. Invisibility syndrome: a clinical model of the effects of racism on African American males. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 70(1).

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