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Item List

Frage Thema Item Text Antwort Format Konstrukt Eingesetzte Kogn Techniken Ergebnis
Item 1: Even if I am well prepared, e.g. for a class test, I have doubts about being able to perform well. [Auch wenn ich gut vorbereitet bin, z. B. für eine Klassenarbeit, zweifle ich daran, eine gute Leistung zeigen zu können.] Nein

All ten respondents chose the answer option “Sometimes true” for item 1. They were asked to explain their answers in more detail, with the reasons in all ten cases matching the selected answer option. The respondents explained that they occasionally doubted that they could perform well, but that this was not very often the case:

  • “Sometimes I get a bit excited and nervous when I have to give a presentation or read out a story, for example.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade)
  • “Sometimes I get a bit nervous because I want to get a good grade in my exams, and I don't know if it will work.” (TP07, 9 Jahre, 4th grade)
  • “I'm usually well prepared, but sometimes one thinks, ‘Hmm, can I do this now?’ You also never know exactly what will be asked. So, you can sometimes be unsure.” (TP08, 10 years, 5th grade)
  • “Sometimes I think that I haven't learned enough or that I will forget everything again.” (TP02, 11 years old, 6th grade)
  • “Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll mess up in subjects that I'm actually good at too.” (TP05, 13 years old, 7th grade)
Item 2: I try to avoid situations in which I am judged by others (e.g. competitions, presentations, speaking up in class). [Ich versuche Situationen zu vermeiden, in denen ich von anderen beurteilt werde (z. B. Wettkämpfe, Referate, sich melden im Unterricht).] Nein

The majority of the respondents answered item 2 with “Never true” (n = 6) or “Sometimes true” (n= 3) and explained that they perceive the situations mentioned in the item as positive rather than negative or would only avoid them in certain cases. There were no differences in terms of the respondents' gender:

  • “I actually think competitions are cool, I enjoy them. In sport, for example. And I often participate in lessons too.” (TP07, 9 years old, 4th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “I really enjoy giving presentations, for example. And I don't see competitions as something where you're judged, but rather as something where you can prove yourself.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “So my understanding is that if I speak up in class, I'm afraid of saying something wrong. That's sometimes true.” (TP06, 9 years old, 4th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “Actually, I don't really avoid these situations, just sometimes. I was thinking about oral grades, for example, speaking up in math class.” (TP02, 11 years old, 6th grade, answer: Sometimes true)

Respondent 04 (10 years old, 5th grade) chose the answer option “Often true” and explained that she would find some of the situations given as examples unpleasant, but not others. When answering the item, she referred to those situations that she tries to avoid:

  • TP04: “I don't always try to avoid these situations, but more often. For example, when someone wants to race me. Or situations in general where someone says, 'I bet I can do better than you'.”
  • INT: “But you said you like to speak up in class?”
  • TP04: “Yes, but you're not judged there. They don't say 'you're so bad', they just say 'that's right' or 'that's wrong'.”
Item 3: Although I have often received good grades, I am afraid that I will not be able to meet the expectations of others in the future. [Obwohl ich schon oft gute Noten bekommen habe, habe ich Angst, in Zukunft die Erwartungen von anderen nicht erfüllen zu können.] Nein

The majority of the respondents answered item 3 with "Never true" (n = 5) or "Sometimes true" (n = 4) and explained that they did not feel that others had too high expectations of them and/or that it was not a bad thing if they did not always meet the expectations of others:

  • “I'm never actually afraid that I won't be able to do something at all. And even if I do, it's not so bad as long as I've made an effort. [...] I thought about the expectations of my parents or friends.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade, answer: Never true)
  • “I know that if I get a bad grade, it's mostly just attention deficit and that I can actually do it. I've thought about my parents' expectations. I usually get very good grades, so they don't expect anything more from me.” (TP04, 10 years old, 5th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “I usually get good grades, but when I'm given a mental arithmetic task, I always have to think about it for a long time. And then someone might say, 'you got good grades at school, why can't you do that math'. I'm a bit scared of that.” (TP10, 11 years old, 6th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “You sometimes think that it could happen that you no longer meet your parents' expectations. But 'often' wouldn't fit. I've only once brought home a grade that my parents weren't happy with. So I don't think that will change much in the future.” (TP09, 13 years old, 8th grade, answer: Sometimes true)

Respondent 05 (13 years old, 7th grade) left the item unanswered and explained that the presupposition "Although I have often gotten good grades" (currently) did not apply to her:

  • “I never actually get good grades or only rarely. That's why I can't answer that very well, I think. [...] I would leave the question open in a written questionnaire. [...] I got good grades in elementary school; I wasn't afraid of not being able to meet expectations.”
Item 4: I'm afraid that other people who are important to me will one day discover that I'm not as good as they think I am. [Ich habe Angst, dass andere Personen, die mir wichtig sind, eines Tages entdecken, dass ich nicht so gut bin, wie sie glauben.] Nein

The majority of the respondents (n = 7) answered item 4 with "Never true" and justified this by saying that they talk openly with their friends or parents about their own strengths and weaknesses and that those therefore know that they are not perfect:

  • “I’m actually so honest with everyone that they don't believe I'm better than I actually am. That's why it's not really possible.” (TP04, 10 years old, 5th grade)
  • “They know I'm not perfect. So, I'm not perfect. That wouldn't be bad.” (TP02, 11 years old, 6th grade)
  • “I am relatively open with my friends, and they know how good or less good I am.” (TP05, 13 years, 7th grade)

The three respondents who answered “Sometimes true” (TP08) or “Often true” (TP09, TP10) did not interpret the phrase "that I'm not as good" in relation to their performance or ability, but as “finding someone good” or “being good friends with someone”:

  • “So I wasn't [thinking that] they would discover that I'm not so good. But that they would find someone else better and no longer want to be friends with you.” (TP08, 10 years old, 5th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “I thought that my friends might think that you are different from what they thought, for example, or that you have changed. And that they wouldn't really want to be friends with you anymore.” (TP10, 11 years old, 6th grade, answer: Often true)
  • “You always think that you unconsciously behave differently with different people. And when they realize that it's not like that or that you're not what they thought you were, they don't want to have anything more to do with you. That's not the case with my best friend, but it is with people you haven't known that well or that long, so they notice that you're not what they expect you to be.” (TP09, 13 years old, 8th grade, answer: Often true)
Item 5: I can remember situations in which I performed poorly better than situations in which I performed well. [An Situationen, in denen ich schlechte Leistungen erbracht habe, kann ich mich besser erinnern als an Situationen, in denen mir gute Leistungen gelungen sind.] Nein

The respondents only used the left half of the response scale to answer item 5. The three respondents who answered "Never true" stated that they remembered good performances more often and tried to suppress the bad performances: 

  • “I can remember things better when I've done well. The feeling of success is something you like. You tend to try to suppress the other things so that you don't even think about them.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade)
  • “You tend to remember the good things better. You forget the bad things more quickly. You suppress them, I would even say.” (TP09, 13 years old, 8th grade) 

The seven respondents who chose the answer option "Sometimes true" justified their choice by saying that they could remember both good and bad performances:

  • “Sometimes I can remember things where I didn't do something so well. But almost never. That's why I ticked sometimes. [...] I try to think more about things where I did well. Those are nicer memories than when something is bad.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade)
  • “Sometimes I can remember situations better that weren't so good, but sometimes I can also remember situations where I did something well.” (TP06, age 9, 4th grade)
  • “I rather remember the first class test in which I got an A. For example, I don't even remember for which class test I got the C-minus. I remember the good performances more than the bad ones. I wouldn't answer 'never' because I also remember the bad grades from time to time. It's not as if I would forget them completely.” (TP04, 10 years old, 5th grade)
Item 6: When others praise me for my good performance, it makes me uncomfortable. [Wenn andere mich für meine gute Leistung loben, ist mir das unangenehm.] Nein

With one exception (TP01), all respondents answered item 6 with "Never true" and explained that they did not find it uncomfortable to be praised by others, but that on the contrary it was a nice feeling to receive recognition for good performance:

  • “I'm one of the best at school. A lot of people say that I'm really good and that they'll never manage to be as good. But I don't find that uncomfortable.”(TP07, 9 years old, 4th grade)
  • “I definitely don't feel uncomfortable when I'm praised. I just think it's great.” (TP08, 10 years old, 5th grade)
  • “I am always happy when others praise me. That's something nice.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade)

Respondent 01 explained that, depending on the social context, it can sometimes be uncomfortable to be praised in front of others:

  • “For example, if it would have been much more important for a friend to be praised and it's not so important to me, but she notices it, then it doesn't feel so nice. In a race in PE class, for example.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade)
Item 7: Even if I've only made small mistakes, I feel like I've done everything wrong. [Auch wenn ich nur kleine Fehler gemacht habe, habe ich das Gefühl, alles falsch gemacht zu haben.] Nein

Slightly more than half of the respondents (n = 6) answered item 7 with "Never true", while two respondents each selected the answer options "Sometimes true" and "Often true". The respondents were asked to explain their answers in more detail, whereby the reasons in all ten cases matched the selected answer option and increasing frequencies corresponded to an overall more self-critical attitude:

  • “For example, if I misspell just one word in a homework assignment, it's not the end of the world.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade, answer: Never true)
  • “The most important thing is that you got most of it right. If you did almost everything right and only made a few inattention mistakes, then that's still great.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “When I have to fill in a sheet at school and then some things are wrong, I sometimes think I haven't understood everything at all.” (TP06, 9 years old, 4th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “I once painted a picture, for example, and I made a small mistake. But it looked really bad to me because I had imagined it differently in my head. And then I thought everyone would notice and I'd done everything wrong. That's not always the case, but it often is.” (TP10, 11 years old, 6th grade, answer: Often true)
Item 8: I rarely perform as well as I would like to. [Ich erbringe nur selten eine Leistung so gut, wie ich es mir wünsche.] Nein

Half of the respondents (n = 5) answered item 8 with "Sometimes true", while two respondents selected the answer option "Never true" and three selected the answer option "Often true". The respondents were asked to explain their answers in more detail, and in most cases the respondents' explanations matched the selected answer option, which means that increasing frequencies reflected higher expectations of themselves:

  • “I don't expect so much from myself. It's not a bad thing if you get a bad grade. A C is actually enough for me. And then I'm happy about Bs and As.” (TP08, 10 years old, 5th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “I usually just accept the grade I get in class tests. That's the best I can achieve. I couldn't do any better, even if I studied for another two years.” (TP04, 10 years old, 5th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “I have comparatively high expectations of myself. In English, a grade like a B+ is already bad for me. Of course, it always depends on how high your own expectations are” (TP09, 13 years old, 8th grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “'Always true' would be too much. I was thinking about school grades or that I once thought I was really good at triathlon. I was sure I would finish first, but then I finished last.” (TP05, 13 years old, 7th grade, answer: Often true)

Respondent 01 misinterpreted the direction of the answer scale or had difficulty fitting her answer into the answer scale due to the negation in the statement. According to her explanation, she should have selected "Sometimes true" rather than "Often true":

  • “I actually do my job well most of the time. Sometimes I'm not, but actually almost always in a way that I'm a satisfied with my performance.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade, answer: Often true)
Item 9: I often get good grades, even though I feel like I'm not that good. [Ich habe oft gute Noten, obwohl ich das Gefühl habe, gar nicht so gut zu sein.] Nein

The respondents used the full range of the scale to answer item 9, with the majority of respondents (n = 6)opting for the "Never true" answer option. The respondents were asked to explain their answers in more detail, with the reasons in all ten cases matching the selected answer option and increasing frequencies reflecting the perception that they were not actually as good as the grades suggested:

  • “My grades are not as good as I would like them to be. But I think I can do quite a lot” (TP05, 13 years old, 7th grade, answer: Never true)
  • “Most of the time I have good grades and also the feeling [of being good]. Sometimes I get a good grade that I didn't expect. Where I thought I would get a worse grade. But that doesn't happen that often.” (TP01, 8 years old, 3rd grade, answer: Sometimes true)
  • “I've been getting good grades more often recently, but I'm not actually that good. That's often true for me” (TP08, 10 years old, 5th grade, answer: Often true)
  • “I don't always get good grades, but most of the time I do. But I also often think that I'm bad at school.” (TP02, 11 years old, 6th grade, answer: Always true)

One respondent noted that the presupposition "I often get good grades..." did not apply to her. She then answered the item for the hypothetical situation that she would often get good grades:

  • “I don't often get good grades. But if I did, I'd rather be happy about it and think that I'm quite good.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade, answer: Never true)
Item 10: Although I often perform well, I'm afraid of failing at every new task. [Obwohl ich oft gute Leistungen zeige, habe ich bei jeder neuen Aufgabe wieder Angst zu versagen.] Nein

The respondents only used the left half of the response scale to answer item 10 and answered half with "Never true" and half with "Sometimes true". The five respondents who answered "Never true" stated that they were very self-confident:

  • “I'm not afraid that I'm doing anything wrong.” (TP04, 10 years, 5th grade)
  • “I'm actually not afraid of new tasks. If I can do something well and then a new topic comes along, I tend to think that I will be able to do it well.” (TP03, 12 years old, 7th grade)
  • “I am actually very self-confident.” (TP05, 13 years old, 7th grade)

The five respondents who answered "Sometimes true" explained that they were sometimes unsure whether they would be able to understand new topics or solve unknown tasks without making mistakes:

  • “Sometimes I feel like I'm failing at new tasks. But not most of the time.” (TP06, age 9, 4th grade)
  • “When things come up in class that I don't really understand or don't know how to do, I sometimes think that I can't do it. That's why I would say 'sometimes true'.” (TP07, 9 years old, 4th grade)
  • “Sometimes I'm a bit scared and nervous, but not that often. For example, when I got good grades in my first English tests and then one comes along where the tasks are more difficult. Then I do get nervous.” (TP08, 10 years old, 5th grade)