The Influence of Educational Attainment on Self-Evaluations of Competence

Findings from a national sample of 420 married adults indicate that educational attainment has a strong, positive association with self-evaluations of competence. This association remains after controls are introduced for family income and occupational prestige. The effects of high educational attainment are moderated to some extent, however, by low occupational prestige and to a lesser extent by high family income. These findings are interpreted with respect to the effects of differential achievement of social rewards and of status consistency, questioning the applicability of Lenski's theory of status crystallization.