Ego Strength and Related Personality Variables as Mediating Factors between Scholastic Aptitude and Scholastic Achievement

Abstract

From a distribution of 515 scores on Rolkeach's Dogmatism Scale, the 35 highest and 35 lowest scores were selected for farther study. Measures of scholastic aptitude (provided principally by scores of ACT), and measures of scholastic performance (by cumulative grade point averages) were obtained for all subjects. A number of cognitive and personality measures were obtained, In order to determine the manner in which these mediated scholastic aptitude and scholastic performance. It was hypothesized that; (1) dogmatism and ego strength (as measured by Barron's Es Scale) would be negatively correlated; (2) dogmatism would be negatively correlated with scholastic aptitude; (3) ego strength would be high among those achieving more than their potential would Indicate, and low among those achieving less than their potential would suggest. It was found that no relationship was obtained between ego strength and dogmatism; or between scholastic aptitude and dogmatism (r = −.001; r = −,003, respectively). Contrary to hypothesis, It was found (by two-tall test of significance) that high achievers have significantly = .01) lower ego strength scores than low achievers.

Possible explanations for these unexpected findings are discussed, with suggestions for further study.