A METAANALYTIC EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONTROL EXPECTANCIES AND ACADEMIC-ACHIEVEMENT - AN 11-YEAR FOLLOW-UP TO FINDLEY AND COOPER

A meta-analytic review of the relationship between control expectancie s and academic achievement was conducted for studies published between 1983 and 1994. The purpose of this investigation was to replicate the results from a meta-analysis completed in 1983 and to use Rotter's (1 954) social learning theory to generate predictions regarding the rela tions between generalized and specific control expectancies and academ ic achievement. Consistent with the results of Findley and Cooper's (1 983) analysis, both generalized and specific control expectancies were related to academic achievement, but in no instance did specific cont rol expectancies predict academic achievement better than generalized control expectancies. The control expectancy-academic achievement rela tion was not moderated by variables such as gender or type of dependen t measure. Age moderated the relationship so that it was significant a nd similar for elementary- and college-aged individuals but significan tly greater for secondary school-aged children. The implications of th ese findings with regard to the validity of assumptions made by Rotter are discussed.