Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
A great amount of research has been done concerning the influence of debilitating anxiety in relation to performance and achievement motivation of students and pupils. Whilst attention has been focused on the negative aspects of anxiety and fear of failure, indications are found in the research literature that a certain level of anxiety may facilitate the performance and achievement motivation of pupils and students in evaluative and achievement situations.
This study forms part of the project "Learning Motivation", which is an interdisciplinary project undertaken by the departments of Education and Psychology. In this research an attempt has been made to analyse the construct of positive fear of failure and to place it within a nomological frame of reference insofar as it pertains to the performance and achievement motivation of pupils in the secondary school phase. Correlational studies were undertaken to determine the relationship between positive fear of failure (facilitating anxiety), achievement motivation, performance and negative fear of failure (debilitating
anxiety).