Sentence-Completion Responses and Academic Performance Re-Examined

Summary On the basis of earlier research findings, certain positive and negative attitudes were assumed to be associated with academic performance. This assumption was re-examined by partial replication of a study using a sentence completion test (SCT). Although a significant correlation was found between the SCT need-for-achievement responses of college freshmen and their cumulative grade-point averages (p <.05), the expected direction of the correlation was reversed, so that affectively negative SCT responses were associated with high grades. Correlations of grades with the self-concept and learning-attitudes scales of the SCT were not significant. Further, none of the scale scores correlated significantly with composite scores on a commonly used measure of college aptitude. Results are discussed and suggestions are offered for possible refinement of the instrument used.