HOW CHILDREN REASON ABOUT ABILITY FROM REPORT CARD GRADES - A DEVELOPMENTAL-STUDY

Elementary school students were interviewed to see how they reason abo ut ability in the context of report card grades. Eighty-four 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders were presented with hypothetical children's report ca rd grades for performance and effort and were asked to compare the chi ldren's ''smartness.'' Four age-related levels of reasoning about abil ity were identified, in accordance with findings from past research. H owever, 6th graders did not use the expected highest levels of reasoni ng, which involve covariation of performance and effort information; r ather, their reasoning emphasized the efficacy of effort. Reasons for differences between the present and previous findings are discussed.