Longitudinal study of young children's responses to challenging achievement situations

Three studies were conducted to replicate and extend Dweck's findings regar ding young children's responses to challenging achievement situations. Dwec k's dichotomous helplessness classification system (i.e., task choice, task choice reason) was replicated with kindergartners, n = 235 (50% male), and first graders, n = 70 (46% male). To test whether individual differences i n young children's responses to challenging situations are stable over time , 1- and 5-year follow-ups of the kindergartners were conducted. On the bas is of children's responses on age-appropriate behavioral tasks, a composite of cognitive, behavioral, and affective helplessness indices predicted hel plessness at 1 and 5 years later, n = 114 (50% male), above and beyond kind ergarten task ability and gender, p <.05. Kindergarten helplessness predict ed teacher ratings of children's helplessness 5 years later as well, p <.05 . The implications of these findings for early intervention are discussed.