Man is the only animal that can take advantage of the

knowledge which has been preserved or accumulated through the

centuries or since the origin of man. Human knowledge has the three
phases: preservation, transmission and advancement. This fact is of
particular importance in research which operator as a continuous function
of ever-closer approximation to the truth.

2.1 STUDIES IN FOREIGN

Dowd (1952): was to find out the extent of the problem of

underachievement and some of the factors that
differentiate achievers and non-achievers who were of a
high level of capacity.

Findings:

(1) Factors at college were same as in earlier school environment,

(2) Sex difference and difference in personality organization were

main

factors.

Merril and Murphy (1959) : administered EPPS to 300 students of

university of Utah who had been predicted to be low achievers on the
basis of high school grades and achievement test scores. It was
found that the overachieving low ability groups was more like the
norm group than the less successful group. Significant differences
described them to be more orderly, less autonomous. less dominant.
more abasing , less natural, more enduring, less heterosexual and
less regressive.

Burt (1961) : rightly remarked that the backwardness of children might

spring from a wide diversity of causes. A part from mental inferiority,
 the backward child might be physically defective. morally defective,
emotionally defective or socially maladjusted.

Pierce (1962): was more hopeful and obtained that achievers and
underachievers had their typical life style, exhibiting favorable
personality characteristics and greater independence.

Carter (1962): conducted a study about the junior high school

overachievers and underachievers belonging to 7 th and 8th grades. He

found that overachieves, as compared to underachievers were
happier in schools, had more of self-confidence, were curious
intellectually and above all had better study habits.

Perkins (1965): compared bright 5th grade achievers and underachievers

belonging to highest socio-economic status and found faulty working

in the classroom as one of the causes of underachievement.

Morrison (1967): conducted a study on fifth grade boy and found that

underachievers showed more hostility towards authority and were

more passive, aggressive, i.e., stubborn and uncooperative. They
however obtained scores higher on achievement tests showing that
actually they were leering but were not able to give evidence of the
same in tests conducted by teachers.

Mclaughlin (1977) : designed his study to investigated if high potential

underachieving boys in a private residential school could be helped

by either or both of two remediation programmers utilizing behavior
modification techniques, the result of this study suggested that, in
the private school, during the course of one school year. behavioral
modification techniques could be employed to significantly improve
(0.05 level) high potential underachievers (a) self-confidence and
attitudes towards achievement, (b) achievement related behavior in
the classroom and student home, (c) grade point average.

Charistensen (1979): did a study on 94 high school seniors enrolled in

either accelerated classes or in classes for low achievers were
administered a revised version of the Allport Huber achievement
anxiety scale. The subjects in accelerated classes showed
significantly less debilitating test anxiety than low achieving
subjects. In addition, females, had significantly higher level of test
anxiety than males.