When 14-Year-Old Valerie Discovers That She's Gotten an a on Yesterday's

question 43

Multiple Choice

When 14-year-old Valerie discovers that she's gotten an A on yesterday's assignment, she expresses pride to her teacher and explains that she worked very hard on it. On the way home from school, however, she tells her friends that she didn't put much effort into the assignment at all and so was lucky to get a high grade. How can we best explain Valerie's conflicting statements?

• A) She suspects that her friends have mastery goals rather than performance goals, and she is trying to go along with the crowd.
• B) She knows that her teacher is more likely than her friends to have an entity view of ability, and she tailors her explanations accordingly.
• C) She knows that her teacher values hard work but that her friends do not, and she tailors her attributions accordingly.
• D) She has internalized the importance of working hard at school.

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Definitions:

Distress

Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain resulting from stress or adversity.

Fight-or-flight Stress

A physiological response to perceived harmful events, attacks, or threats to survival, causing an individual to either confront the stressor or avoid it.

Verbal Abuse

The use of words to cause harm, belittle, or demean someone, often in a workplace or personal relationship.

Imminent Fight

A situation where confrontation or conflict is about to occur very soon.