The life styles of underachieving college students.

Abstract

often are difficult clients for counselors because of their impulsivity and because different kinds of students are categorized as such. Twenty-three sophomore male college Underachievers, control groups of overachievers, and normal achievers were given biweekly interviews. The results supported the hypothesis that Underachievers would be significantly more likely to report and display "irresponsible" behaviors arising from impulsivity and anxiety over achievement in work situations. Cluster analyses of Subjects' scores on the Omnibus Personality Inventory and Opinion, Attitude, and Interest Survey, together with interview data, suggest the possibility for both treatment and conceptual purposes of a subgroup approach to underachievement.1 This article is based on the author's doctoral dissertation at the University of Michigan under the direction of Morton H.