Academic performance as a perceived function of ability and effort

Abstract

Subjects made predictions of the grade point averages of hypothetical students who varied over complete continua of scholastic ability and effort. Subjects in Study 1 made their predictions on the implicit assumption that target students were drawn from a student body chosen via selective admissions criteria. Study 2 subjects assumed that the ability range was one resulting from a “first-come, first-served” open-admissions policy. Although the ability assumption inductions, as intended, led to performance level predictions that were differently dispersed, the basic patterns of subjects' predictions were essentially the same in both studies: For the overwhelming majority of subjects, ability and effort were perceived to affect scholastic performance additively rather than multiplicatively, thus contradicting the suggestions of previous theory. In addition, students with high ability were anticipated to perform reasonably well even when exerting practically no effort. Theoretical interpretations and practical implications of these results are introduced and discussed.