Individual Differences in Examination Persistence and Performance

In two studies, examination persistence and perform ance were investigated as a function of personality variablies and the relative strength of the motive to succeed versus the motive to avoid failure. No persistence or performance variance was accountable by the personali ty variables. except for need for approval, which was significantly related in a positive direction to examinat ion persistence, but not to performance. These results were replicated. The previously reported greater persistence and performance of Ss in which the motive to succeed is greater than the motive to avoid failure (relative to persons in which the motive to avoid failure is greater than the motive to succeed) was not found. Interpretations of the significant contribution (20-25 percent of persistence variance) of approval motivation were considered.