INDIAN JOUNAL OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SCIENCES

(Official Publication of Indian Psychosocial Foundation)

||ISSN: 2231-3036||
||October: 2011|| ||Vol: 1|| || No: 2|| ||Pages: 42-46||

A Study on Effect of Perceived Academic Achievement on

the Level of Inferiority and Insecurity Feeling
Manoranjan Tripathy
M.A. (Psychology), Department of Psychology, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar
Uttarakhand-249404, India
manoranjanonly@gmail.com

Dr. S.K. Srivastava

Professor, Department Psychology, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar
Uttarakhand-249404
profsrivastava@aol.com

ABSTRACT

Academic achievement has been and continues to be one of the most important values held in highly arrives
in all cultures, countries and times. Scholastic achievement has been therefore an important development
task, which the pre-adolescents and the adolescents are expected to attain. Education, it is hoped, wideness
the mind & trains the critical faculties of thought and judgment. Hence it has always been valued by all
societies and cultures. In society today, academic performance plays an essential role in many peoples’ lives.
The present study aims to examine the relationship between the academic achievement and inferiority &
insecurity feeling. This research attempt to determine that academic achievement can effect on the level of
inferiority & insecurity feeling in school going children. It is recognized by the result that the level of
inferiority & insecurity feeling, both variables have been effected by the academic achievement. So we
concentrate for this study.

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference on the level of inferiority feeling among high academic
achiever & low academic achiever persons.

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference on the level of insecurity feeling among high academic
achiever & low academic achiever persons.

Method and procedure- For the study, sample size of 100 was selected through Quota sampling
technique from the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, (Uttarakhand). Which was selected from
two groups i.e. 50 from high academic achievement and 50 from low academic achievement and they were
again devided into two subgroups of 25 males and 25 females. For measurement of ‘Inferiority & Insecurity
feelings’ researcher used Inferiority & Insecurity Questionnaires. The inventor of this test is Dr. G.G. Pati;
Mental Health Institution, SCB Medical College, Cuttack (Orissa).

Result: High academic achiever persons have low inferiority feeling than low academic achiever persons.
High academic achiever persons have low insecurity feeling than low academic achiever persons.

Conclusion: The results indicated that there was no significant relationship between feeling of security-
insecurity and academic achievement.

Keywords: Perceived academic achievement and inferiority & insecurity feeling.

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 A Study on Effect of Perceived Academic Achievement on the
Level of Inferiority and Insecurity Feeling

Introduction
The world is becoming more and more competitive. Quality of performance has become the key factor
for personal progress. Parents desire that their children climb the ladder of performance to as high a level as
possible. This desire for a high level of achievement puts a lot of pressure on students, teachers, schools, and in
general, the educational system itself. In fact, it appears as if the, whole system of education revolves round the
academic achievement of students, though various other outcomes are also expected from the system. Thus a lot
of time and effort of the schools are used for helping students to achieve better in their scholastic endeavors.

Behind every achievement that we see in this world today, is the unseen hand of the human self-confidence. The
material comforts scientific achievements are all the products crystallized out of the human self-confidence and
determination. The human self-confidence conquered nature and made slave for the welfare of mankind, and in
the process, can even create the things which were not even available in the world before. Behind all the
technological progresses are the determined efforts of hundreds of dedicated men and women, who faced all the
challenges to make their dream, comes true.

Many of what we see today as solid facts of life and proof of man’s achievements were only mere ideas yesterday
in the minds of a few men of great self-confidence. Those ideas would not have become realities, had they not put
the will and determination to their ideas into practice. Our scriptures too have given us examples of men of great
self-confidence, like Viswamitra who could even create a new world outfit sheer out of will power & self-
confidence also. All men of achievement had the blessing of tremendous will power in their makeup, and History
is full of names of such men of achievement.

It is everywhere seen that in this remaking of one’s destiny, there is negative and there is a positive approach.
The negative approach essentially is careful observance of the quality and texture of our thoughts, detecting the
dissipations within, and eradicating those false values and wrong tendencies in our thought-patterns. To have
Thus, a healthy mind within-one that has learned to negate and weed out its unproductive jungles of thought-is
the secret of living in physical well-being, in harmony and happiness. Many studies have been done in the field of
academic achievement. In a study (2) found homeless and housed children had comparable rates of absenteeism
and other school-related problems, which may explain why homeless and housed children were similar in terms
of achievement. Although children of color were equivalent to non-Latino White children in terms of nonverbal
intellectual ability, their lower academic achievement scores suggest that they are not reaching their academic
potential. In another study author explained (I,6,13) homeless students were rehoused showed that both groups
valued school highly and were similar in cognitive abilities assessed with the similarities subtest of the Wechsler
Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R). Formerly homeless students had more school mobility, more
grade retention, and worse school experiences by mother report and lower plans for post-secondary education
by self-report. Both groups scored poorly on standardized tests of academic achievement. Homelessness was
associated with further declines in achievement during the period of maximal residential disruption, but did not
have effects 5 years later.

Physical health and mental health is also an important factor for achievement. Lack of health decreases the
performance it is quit true similar study (1) was found of treatment for bilateral secretary otitis media was
correlated to minor group difference in the mean of grades, but not to any significant difference in the individual
grades or in the choice of further studies. Having many episodes of acute otitis before the age of four was
uncorrelated to lower grades and to fewer tendencies to continue with theoretical studies. The results gender (8)
difference revealed that LD status had indirect influence on self-efficacy via the source variable; gender did not
have direct or indirect influences on self-efficacy. (3,11) last in the study relationships from academic, social, and
self-regulatory efficacy on academic achievement found academic and self-regulatory efficacy had an indirect
negative effect through delinquency and a direct positive effect on academic achievement. Academic and social
self-efficacy had positive and negative relationships, respectively, with academic aspiration and academic
achievement; however, the relationship between academic aspiration and academic achievement was not
significant. Similarly another study have been found (9,11) gender differences in 5 areas of early achievement:
applied problems (math), general knowledge, letter–word identification, expressive vocabulary, and sound
awareness. Behavioral self-regulation was measured using both an objective direct measure (N = 268; Head-
Toes-Knees-Shoulders task) and, for a sub sample of children, a teacher report of classroom self-regulatory
behavior (n = 156; Child Behavior Rating Scale). Results showed that gender differences in self-regulation were
clear, no significant gender differences were found on the 5 academic achievement outcomes, as measured by
the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Structural equation modeling analyses corroborated a

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conceptual model in which teachers' personal efficacy beliefs affected their job satisfaction and students'
academic achievement, controlling for previous levels of achievement. (3) The results offer promising evidence
that a broad focus on building the developmental nutrients in young people's lives may contribute to academic
success (14).

Objective and Hypothesis:

The present study aims to establish relationship between the effect of perceived academic achievement on the
level of inferiority & insecurity feeling having following hypothesis
1. Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference on the level of inferiority feeling among high
academic achiever & low academic achiever persons.

2. Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference on the level of insecurity feeling among high
academic achiever & low academic achiever persons.

Material & Methods:

For the study, sample size of 100 was selected through Quota sampling technique from the Dev Sanskriti
Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, (Uttarakhand). Which was selected from two groups i.e. 50 from high academic
achievement and 50 from low academic achievement and they were again divided into two subgroups of 25
males and 25 females. For measurement of ‘Inferiority & Insecurity feelings’ researcher used Inferiority &
Insecurity Questionnaires. The inventor of this test is Dr. G.G. Pati; Mental Health Institution, SCB Medical
College, Cuttack (Orissa).

Results & Discussion:

In this research work mainly two hypotheses have been formulated. Each hypothesis will be discussed
below.
Hypotheses 1: There is no significant difference between high academic achiever persons and low academic
achiever persons on the level of inferiority feeling.

Table 1: Comparison between High and Low academic achiever persons on inferiority feeling.
Inferiority Scores
Group N SED CR
Mean SD
Significant at 0.05 level
High Academic Achiever Persons 50 28.76 16.90
3.17 2.45
Low Academic Achiever Persons 50 36.54 14.72
df = 98

Graphical Representation of Table 1

On the basis of the table 1 and graph, the mean scores of the
40
high academic achiever persons and low academic achiever
35 persons are 28.76 and 36.54 respectively on inferiority feeling.
30 The SD’s of the high academic achiever persons and low
25 academic achiever persons are 16.90 and 14.72 respectively.
20 The t-test was used to assess the significance of the hypothesis.
15 The obtained CR-value is 2.45, since the obtained CR-value is
10 more than the table value at 0.05 level of confidence and less
5 than the table value at 0.01 level of confidence for df = 98. So,
0
Mean SD there is significance difference on the level of inferiority feeling
H. A. A. person 28.76 16.9 among high academic achiever persons and low academic
L. A. A. person 36.54 14.72 achiever persons. Since the hypothesis 1 is rejected. So, we can
say that high academic achiever persons have low inferiority
feeling than low academic achiever persons. Insecurity felling or emotional insecurity is a concept well known.
The term “feeling of Insequrity” refers to a family of representations and affects that reflect an individual’s self-
evaluation in relation to others. The construct of insecurity can be defined as intimate, intellectual capacities
(Mona El-Sekh, Joseph A, Buckhalt, Pegg S. Keller, E. Mark Cummings, Christine Acebo 2007). Those with
emotional attachment to the family are more likely to be having feelings of insecurity. The feeling of insecurity
arises when a person fails himself in every work. Due to the failure in every step of life he develops negative
thoughts in his mind. Hence, he perceives himself with negative attitude.

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Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference on the level of insecurity feeling among high academic achiever
& low academic achiever persons.

Table 2: Comparison between High and Low academic achiever persons on insecurity feeling.
Insecurity Scores
Group N SED CR
Mean SD
Significant at 0.01 level
High Academic Achiever Persons 50 20.66 16.31
3.64 3.21
Low Academic Achiever Persons 50 32.36 19.94
df = 98
Graphical Representation of Table 2
On the basis of the table 2 and graph, the mean scores of the
high academic achiever persons and low academic achiever
persons are 20.66 and 32.36 respectively on insecurity feeling.
35

The SD’s of the high academic achiever persons and low

30

25
academic achiever persons are 16.31 and 19.94 respectively.
20
The t-test was used to assess the significance of the hypothesis.
15
The obtained CR-value is 3.21, since the obtained CR-value is
10
more than the table value at 0.01 level of confidence for df = 98.
5
So, there is significance difference on the level of insecurity
0
Mean SD feeling among high academic achiever persons and low
H. A. A. person 20.66 16.31 academic achiever persons. Since the hypothesis 2 is also
L. A. A. person 32.36 19.94
rejected. So, we can say that high academic achiever persons
have low insecurity feeling than low academic achiever
persons. Inferiority complex or extremely low self-esteem is a concept we are all familiar with. Chances are we
or someone you know suffers from this complex. The term “feeling of inferiority” refers to a group of
representations and affects that reflect an individual’s self-evaluation in relation to others. The construct of
inferiority can be defined as intimate physical capacities (Colin Wayne Leach and Russell Spears 2008). Those
with low self-esteem are more likely to be more likely to have feelings of resentment, alienation and
unhappiness. The feeling of inferiority arises when a person fails himself in every work. Due to the failure in
every step of life he develops negative thoughts in his mind. Hence, he perceives himself with negative attitude.

Conclusion

In present research work “A study on effect of perceived academic achievement on the level of inferiority and
insecurity feeling” examine the relationship between the inferiority & insecurity feeling with academic
achievement. These research attempts determine that academic achievement effect on the level of inferiority &
insecurity feeling in school going children. It is recognized by the result of this field study that the level of the
inferiority & insecurity feeling, both variables have effected to academic achievement.

Hence, we can conclude that the academic achievement affects the level of inferiority & insecurity feeling of
human being. But, there are many large scaled researches which are against to the result of the present study in
the view of insecurity feeling of adolescents.

The results indicated that there was no significant relationship between feeling of security-insecurity and
academic achievement. So, we conclude that in the point of view of insecurity feeling academic achievement may
be a controversial topic.

References

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