Undergraduate Men's and Women's Responses to Positive and Negative Feedback about Academic Performance

Similarities and differences between the sexes in response to evaluative feedback about academic performance were examined from a symbolic interactionist standpoint. Undergraduate men's and women's ( ns = 117 and 123) affective reactions and tendencies to accept high and low course grades were compared Women and men were similar in assimilation of positive feedback and rejection of negative feedback. Only women showed significant relationships of scores on self-esteem with positive affective responses and rated acceptance of positive feedback.