Abstract

This study aimed to examine (a) the effects of students’ value beliefs, academic self-esteem and overgeneralization of failure experience (OG) on the generation of their attributions and emotions for unsuccessful and successful estimated mathematics performance in final school year exams, and on the generation of the impact of attributions on emotions for the same performance, and (b) the role of overgeneralization of failure experience in the formulation of the impact of academic self-esteem on attributions and emotions. The participants were 180 students (115 had successful performance, 65 had unsuccessful performance) of 8th and 9th grades, of both genders. The results from a series of hierarchical regression analysis revealed that (a) perceived high value, high academic self-esteem, and low overgeneralization of failure experience maximized the positive emotions for successful performance, and minimized the negative emotions for unsuccessful performance, (b) value beliefs, academic self-esteem and OG significantly influenced the attributions for performance, and the impact of attributions on emotions, and (c) the OG was a mediator factor of the effects of the academic self-esteem on attributions and emotions, particularly in unsuccessful performance, and (d) high value activated OG. The findings are discussed for their applications in education and future research.