Success Avoidance: Why Students May Avoid Opportunities to Achieve

Achieving success (measured by good grades, motivation to do well, a positive social environment, and class spirit) may require changes in personal identity. Rather than threaten the security of a familiar self-perception, students may choose to sabotage their success. Understanding the dynamics of success sabotage and how to identify when it is occurring can lessen confusion and frus­tration for both students and pro­fes­sionals.

This presentation will move through the theories to hands-on approaches that can be incorporated immediately in educational settings. Learn how the “fear of success” affects a student's behavior and why traditional reward-centered approaches sometimes appear to have the opposite intended effect.

Anyone who works with students from kindergarten to college will benefit from developing these strategies to minimize negative responses and deal with low self-esteem. Learn how to integrate personal style and preferences with newly learned counseling, mentoring, and motivational skills and techniques to encourage and support at-risk and motivated students at the same time.