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Academic success expectancy: The interplay of gender, situation, and meaning

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Abstract

The importance of success expectancy is discussed, followed by a review of the extensive but fragmented literature demonstrating that females frequently have a lower success expectancy than males in achievement contexts, despite having a similar performance. These varied findings are synthesized and cast into a framework asserting that success expectancy emerges from three major factors: (1) the meaning given to self and the achievement situation; (2) the familiarity that one has with the task; and (3) sex-stereotypic personality disposition. This framework is then tested for 342 college students. The results show that both meaning and familiarity significantly explain success expectancy, and that familiarity also significantly explains test performance. There is no evidence, however, for a sex-related personality disposition for lower success expectancy. The discussion focuses on the need to move beyond sex differences and focus on how meaning and familiarity can impact the success expectancy of all college students.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, The University of Akron, 44325, Akron, OH

    Richard J. Gigliotti & Susan E. Secrest

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  1. Richard J. Gigliotti
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  2. Susan E. Secrest
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Gigliotti, R.J., Secrest, S.E. Academic success expectancy: The interplay of gender, situation, and meaning. Res High Educ 29, 281–297 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992772

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