Age and Sex Differences in Expectancy for Success Among American Children

Summary

This study investigated expectancy for success and actual performance of 179 American boys and girls at seven, nine, and 11 years of age in a tossing task which was labeled by children as a neutral task. Children were asked to give a verbal estimate of the number of successful trials out of 10 they expected to complete. The dependent measures were expectancy scores and performance scores. Results indicated significant grade and sex differences on expectancy for success and actual performance. Generally, the findings yielded no support for the notion that sociocultural expectations regarding motor performance of females are undergoing rapid changes. The results suggest that boys still have higher expectations for success and show better performance than girls on a simple neutral motor task.