Subjective overachievement: Individual differences in self-doubt and concern with performance

We discuss the construct of doubt about one's competence and suggest that d oubt can have myriad consequences (e.g., self-handicapping. defensive pessi mism). We focus on the effect of self-doubt when it is combined with a conc ern with performance and assert that this combination leads to the phenomen on of subjective overachievement. In two studies, we present a new 17-item Subjective Overachievement Scale (SOS), which includes two independent subs cales measuring individual differences in self-doubt and concern with perfo rmance. The first study, consisting of two large samples (Ns = 2,311 and 1, 703), provides evidence that the scale has high internal consistency and a clear two-factor structure. Additionally, the subscales have adequate test- retest reliability (Ns = 67 and 115). A second study reveals that the SOS h as good convergent and discriminant validity. Both subscales are unrelated to social desirability but exhibit the predicted patterns of associations w ith other related constructs. The Concern with Performance Subscale is corr elated with achievement motivation, whereas the Self-Doubt Subscale is corr elated with scales assessing negative affectivity (e.g., self-esteem, socia l anxiety) and other self-related strategies associated with concerns about one's competence (e.g., self-handicapping, defensive pessimism, impostor p henomenon). The SOS, which combines the two subscales, appears to tap a uni que strategy that individuals may use to deal with doubts about their own c ompetence.