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All content in this area was uploaded by Hasan Yılmaz on Feb 11, 2020
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Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(6): 1278-1285, 2018 http://www.hrpub.org
DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2018.060619
Fear of Success and Life Satisfaction
in terms of Self-efficacy
Hasan Yılmaz
Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature, Kyrgyzstan Turkey Manas University, Kyrgyzstan
Copyright©2018 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
Abstract The purpose of the present research is
presenting the relationships between self-efficacy, fear of
success and life satisfaction; and determining the
predictive power fear of success and self-efficacy on life
satisfaction. For this purpose, self-efficacy, fear of
achievement and life satisfaction scales were implemented
on 625 individuals. In the analysis of the data, t-test and
regression analysis were utilized. According to the findings
of the research, there is a negative correlation between
self-efficacy and fear of achievement. There is a
relationship between all subscales of self-efficacy and fear
of success. In particular, the "starting behavior" and
"maintaining behavior" subscales are the strongest
predictors of fear of success. Similarly, there is a positive
correlation between self-efficacy and life satisfaction; and
a significant negative correlation between fear of success
and life satisfaction. Taken that self-efficacy is influenced
by fear of success and fear of success and self-efficacy has
effects on life satisfaction into consideration; any kind of
psychological help for reducing the fear of success will
increase self-efficacy. Similarly, any effort to improve
self-efficacy will reduce fear of success. The increase in
self-efficacy perceived positively and the decrease in fear
of success will increase the individual's life satisfaction.
Keywords Fear of Success, Life Satisfaction and
Self-efficacy
1. Introduction
Self-efficacy is related with a strong sense of personal
efficacy, better health, higher success and creativity, and
better social integration. Self-efficacy is about whether an
action is to be started and how much effort will be paid and
how much struggle will put against obstacles and failures.
In other words, self-efficacy is not a concept related to our
abilities and technical skills, but it is a concept related to
the perception whether we can reach our goals. According
to Bandura [1] self-efficacy makes a difference in the way
people think, feel and behave. Low self-efficacy is
associated with depression, anxiety, and despair.
Individuals with lower self-efficacy also have lower
self-esteem and they have pessimistic thoughts about their
achievements and personal growth. People with high self-
efficacy are willing and creative in performing more
challenging tasks. Higher self-efficacy also enables to
choose challenging goals, explore the environment and
take advantage of environmental conditions. Self-efficacy
is not a skill; it is the belief on what the individuals can do
in accordance with their abilities. Self-efficacy is much
more than the intention of the individual to achieve an aim,
since it is the sum of beliefs about starting, maintaining,
concluding, and even more importantly, struggling with the
obstacles that will face in this process. In short,
self-efficacy belief is an individual’s belief that they can
perform the behavior that produces the result [2].
The fear of success can be regarded as the counter
concept of self-efficacy. It can be defined as the behaviors
of avoiding success resulting from the anxieties of that
those who overwork are negatively evaluated, the works of
very successful individuals are sabotaged by others, and so
resulting in the formation of low goals, the tendency
towards easy tasks, the diminution of attainment with the
worry that the interpersonal relations of highly successful
people are interrupted. Fear of success is important in terms
of explaining the obstructive attitudes. Fear of negative
outcomes of success is the most important determinant in
the emergence of fear of success [3]. Individuals who
perceive the consequences of being successful as a threat
reveal fear of success as a result of the anxiety to confront
this threat [4]. Fear of success was first coined by Horner in
the late 1960s [5]. In an article published in 1974, Horner
argued that the sense of raising children, which is
manifested by an extreme competition-based lifestyle,
augments and fuels fear of success. On the other hand,
cognitive approaches explain avoiding success as a learned
response, which is presented by people who are successful
at a socially unacceptable level and they argued that this
turns into a role and habit learned from other people [6].
According to the reconciliation approach, fear of success
emerges with a sense of avoiding success and stems from
an effort to reach a compromise between conflicting goals
[7]. There are also studies in the related literature that
Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(6): 1278-1285, 2018 1279
describe fear of success as a type of anxiety. Researchers
with this view preferred the concept of "The Impact of
Negative Consequences of Success" instead of the concept
of fear of success and started studies on developing scales
accordingly [8], [9].
The concept of life satisfaction, first coined by
Neugarten in 1961, is the result or situation obtained by
comparing what a person expects and what they have [10].
Life satisfaction represents the cognitive direction of
subjective well-being from concepts related to human
happiness. Subjective well-being is defined as cognitive
and emotional evaluation of a person's life. This evaluation
includes the emotional response to the events and the
cognitive assessment of satisfaction. When people feel
many pleasant and unpleasant emotions, when they are
involved in engaging activities, experience too much joy
and too little pain and when they are satisfied with the lives,
they experience a high level of subjective well-being. The
subjective well-being focuses on self-assessment of one's
life. Life satisfaction is defined as the general assessment
of the quality of life according to the self-chosen criteria.
Life satisfaction includes the satisfaction of the present life,
the desire to change life, the satisfaction of the past, the
satisfaction of the future and the opinion of the person's
relatives about that person's life. Satisfaction areas may
include work, family, leisure time, health, money, self and
person's immediate surroundings [11] (Dost, M. T. 2007:
2).
To summarize the explanations on self-efficacy, fear of
success and life satisfaction provided so for; self-efficacy is
the belief that one has the necessary skills to perform an
ai m [1]. Fear of success can be defined as the behaviors of
avoiding success resulting from the anxieties of that those
who overwork are negatively evaluated, the works of very
successful individuals are sabotaged by others, and so
resulting in the formation of low goals, the tendency
towards easy tasks, the diminution of attainment with the
worry that the interpersonal relations of highly successful
people are interrupted. Life satisfaction is an element
related to the individual's general feeling of well-being.
Life satisfaction is, besides being related to quality of life,
not a concept that is enough to explain all life quality and
life satisfaction. It is believed that self-efficacy and life
satisfaction are effective in determining the life goals of the
individual and in reaching these goals. Although
self-efficacy and life satisfaction seem to be two sources
supporting and feeding each other, fear of success is a
pressure and threat to both. Accordingly, the purpose of the
present research is to reveal the relation between these
three variables and their power of influence on each other.
We hope that the findings will provide important insights
into any kind of psychological support studies on
improving the quality of life.
The main purpose of the present research is to reveal the
relationship between self-efficacy, fear of success and life
satisfaction; and determining the predictive power of
self-efficacy on fear of success and fear of success and
self-efficacy on life's satisfaction.
2. Materials and Methods
Relational screening model was adopted in the present
research. Data collection tools prepared for this purpose
were applied on 625 subjects. Among the universe of the
research, 295 current students in the psychological
counseling and guidance departments, and 330 individuals
who have graduated from this department were reached.
2.1. Data Collection Tools
Three different data collection tools were used in the
present research. The first is the
Self-Efficacy-Competence Scale (SESS) developed by
Sherrer et al [12] and adapted to Turkish by Gözüm and
Aksayan [13] . The scale consists of 23 items and has four
sub-scales. These are initiating behavior, maintaining
behavior, completing behavior and struggling with
obstacles. The scale measures the general self-efficacy
perception that is not specific to any specific domain. The
Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient of the
Turkish form of the scale was .81, and test-retest
reliability was found as ,92 [13].
The second data collection tool used in the present
research was the 21-item Fear of Success Scale developed
by Hyland and Dann [7] and adapted to Turkish by Melli
[14]. Correlations between item-total test scores of the
Fear of Success Scale vary between .074 and .467. The
internal consistency coefficient was found as r=.72. The
scale has 4 subscales; Social Outcomes of Success,
Negating Success, Internal Anxiety and Avoiding
Success.
The third data collection tool used in the present
research is "Life Satisfaction Scale" developed by Diener,
Emmons, Larsen and Griffin [15]. The scale, which was
adapted to Turkish by Dagli and Baysal [16], consists of 5
questions in one factor. The reliability of LSS was defined
with the Cronbach Alpha consistency coefficient and the
test-retest technique and internal consistency coefficient
was calculated as r=0.88 for the whole scale.
2.2. Statistical Analysis
In the analysis of the data; independent t test was utilized
to determine whether fear of achievement and self-efficacy
perceptions varied by gender variable. The level of
significance was taken as .05. Linear regression analysis
was utilized to determine the relationship and the level of
prediction between the variables and sub-scales of the
scales.
3. Results
Results obtained in the present research are presented in
1280 Fear of Success and Life Satisfaction in terms of Self-efficacy
this part.
3.1. The General Case on Self-efficacy
The results of the descriptive analysis of the findings
obtained from the self-efficacy scale are presented in
Table 1. Taken that the maximum score of the scale was
110 and the arithmetic mean of the subjects was 83.68
into consideration; we can claim that the participants in
the sample have a high level of self-efficacy. The
proportion of the arithmetic average to the maximum
score in terms of sub-scales; shows that the subjects have
the highest self-efficacy in terms of completing the
behavior and the lowest terms of struggling with obstacles.
Additionally, the highest variability among the four
subscales was in the response to the initiation behavior
subscale (s=5,37) and the least variance was observed in
the struggling with obstacles subscale (2.34).
3.2. Analysis Results for Findings Descriptive Analysis
Tab le 1. Descriptive Analysis of the Findings Obtained from the
Self-Efficacy Scale
Sub-scales of
the
Self-efficac y
Scale
N Min. Max. Mean Std.
Deviation
Initiating
Behaviour
625 8,00 40,00 29,55 5,37
Mai ntaini ng
Behaviour
625 11,00 33,00 25,06 3,70
Completing
Behaviour
625 7,00 25,00 19,77 3,35
Struggli ng
Wit h
Obstacles
625 3,00 15,00 9,30 2,34
Self-Efficacy
Scale General
625 37,00 110,00 83,68 11,90
Tab le 2. Descriptive Analysis of the Findings Obtained from the Fear
of Success Scale
Fear of
Success
Subscales
N Minimum Maximu m Me an Std.
Dev.
Social
outcomes
of
Success
625 7,00 35,00 25,72 5,73
Negati ng
Success
625 7,00 35,00 15,43 4,88
Internal
Anxiet y
625 4,00 20,00 10,75 3,53
Avoiding
Success
625 3,00 15,00 7,12 2,83
Fear of
Success
Scale
General
625 21,00 105,00 59,03 9,48
3.3. Findings Related to the Prediction of Self-efficacy
Perception of Fear of Success
Findings related to the extent to which self-efficacy
perception predicts fear of success are presented in Table 3.
As presented in Table 3; self-efficacy generally
explains the 11% of fear of success (F=19.488; R2=0.11;
p=0.001). There is a significant correlation between all
sub-scales of self-efficacy and fear of achievement at .05
level. There is a negative correlation between completing
the behavior and the struggling with obstacles subscales of
self-efficacy and fear of success. There is a weak positive
relationship between the completing the behavior and the
struggling with obstacles subscales and the fear of success.
In terms of self-efficacy predicting the fear success,
initiating behavior subscale is ranked first among the four
subscales of self-efficacy. This is respectively followed by
completing the behavior, maintaining behavior, and
struggling with obstacles.
Tab le 3. Results of the Analysis on the Prediction of Perception of Self-efficacy of the Fear of Success
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β t p R Partial r
(Co nstant) 68,108 2,672 25,489 ,001
Initiating Behaviour -,491 ,097 -,278 -5,071 ,001 -,242 -,200
Mai nta ining Behaviou r -,370 ,139 -,145 -2,661 ,008 -,205 -,106
Completing Behaviour ,500 ,142 ,177 3,528 ,000 ,031 ,140
Struggli ng Wit h
Obstacles ,518 ,184 ,128 2,821 ,005 ,072 ,113
R=0.33, R2=0.11, F=19.488, p=0.001
Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(6): 1278-1285, 2018 1281
3.4. Findings Related to the Prediction of
Self-proficiency Perception of Social Outcomes of
Success Subscale of Fear of Success
The findings related to the prediction of self-efficacy
perception of “Social outcomes of Success” subscale are
presented in Table 4. As presented in Table 4, self-efficacy
explains the 7% of "social outcomes of success" subscale
of fear of success (F=12.399, R2=0.07, p=0.001). There is
a significant correlation between maintaining behavior
and completing behavior subscales of self-efficacy and
fear of success at .05 level. There was no significant
relationship between the initiating the behavior and the
struggling with obstacles subscales and fear of success. In
terms of self-efficacy predicting the social outcomes of
success subscale of fear success, completing behavior
subscale is ranked first among the four subscales of
self-efficacy. This is respectively followed by maintaining
behavior, initiating the behavior, and struggling with
obstacles subscales.
3.5. Findings Related to the Prediction of
Self-proficiency Perception of Negating Success
Subscale of Fear of Success
The findings related to the prediction of self-efficacy
perception of “Negating Success” subscale are presented in
Table 5.
As presented in Table 5, self-efficacy explains the 16%
of "negating success" subscale of fear of success (F=28.74;
R2=0.16; p=0.001). There are significant negative
correlations between all subscales of self-efficacy and
negating success subscale fear of success at .05 level. This
finding suggests that negating success decreases at the
extent that perceptions are positive in four subscales of
self-efficacy; from another perspective that as negating
success decreases self-efficacy sub-scale scores increase.
In terms of self-efficacy predicting the negating success
subscale of fear success, initiating the behavior subscale is
ranked first among the four subscales of self-efficacy.
This is respectively followed by maintaining behavior,
struggling with obstacles subscales and completing the
behavior subscales.
Tab le 4. Results of the Analysis on the Prediction of Perception of Self-Efficacy of the “Social outcomes of Success” subscale of Fear of Success
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β t p R Partial r
(Co nstant) 14,553 1,648 8,829 ,000
Initiating Behaviour ,077 ,060 ,073 1,297 ,195 ,217 ,052
Maintaining Behaviour ,141 ,086 ,091 1,642 ,009 ,221 ,066
Completing Behaviour ,269 ,087 ,158 3,082 ,002 ,241 ,123
Struggling With Obstacles ,003 ,113 ,001 ,026 ,979 ,145 ,001
R=0.27, R2=0.07, F=12.399, p=0.001
Tab le 5. Results of the Analysis on the Prediction of Perception of Self-Efficacy of the “Negating Success” subscale of Fear of Success
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β t p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 25,806 1,341 19,238 ,000
Initiating Behaviour -,251 ,049 -,276 -5,172 ,000 -,348 -,203
Mai nta ining Behaviou r -,266 ,070 -,202 -3,817 ,000 -,328 -,152
Completing Behaviour ,051 ,071 ,035 ,713 ,476 -,132 ,029
Struggling With Obstacles ,293 ,092 ,140 3,176 ,002 -,012 ,127
R=0.40, R2=0.16, F= 28.74, p=0.001
1282 Fear of Success and Life Satisfaction in terms of Self-efficacy
3.6. Findings Related to the Prediction of
Self-proficiency Perception of Internal Anxiety
Subscale of Fear of Success
The findings related to the prediction of self-efficacy
perception of “Internal Anxiety” subscale are presented in
Table 6.
As presented in Table 6, self-efficacy explains the 13%
of "internal anxiety" subscale of fear of success (F=22.639;
R2=0.13; p=0.001). There are significant negative
correlations between all subscales of self-efficacy and
internal anxiety subscale fear of success at .05 level.
Likewise, this finding suggests that internal decreases at
the extent that perceptions are positive in initiating,
maintaining and completing the behavior and struggling
with obstacles subscales of self-efficacy. In terms of
self-efficacy predicting the internal anxiety subscale of
fear success, initiating the behavior subscale is ranked
first among the four subscales of self-efficacy. This is
respectively followed by completing behavior,
maintaining behavior and struggling with obstacles
subscales.
3.7. Findings Related to the Prediction of
Self-proficiency Perception of Avoiding Success
Subscale of Fear of Success
The findings related to the prediction of self-efficacy
perception of “Avoiding Success” subscale are presented
in Table 7.
As presented in Table 7, self-efficacy explains the 10%
of "avoiding success" subscale of fear of success
(F=16.210; R2=0.10; p=0.001). There are significant
negative correlations between initiating the behavior,
maintaining the behavior and struggling with obstacles
subscales of self-efficacy and internal anxiety subscale
fear of success at .05 level. However, there are no
significant relations between completing the behavior
subscale of self-efficacy and avoiding success subscale of
fear of success. This finding suggests that all subscales
but completing the behavior subscale of self-efficacy are
negatively correlated with avoiding success subscale of
fear of success. In terms of self-efficacy predicting the
avoiding success subscale of fear success, maintaining the
behavior subscale is ranked first among the four subscales
of self-efficacy. This is respectively followed by initiating
the behavior and struggling with obstacles subscales.
Tab le 6. Results of the Analysis on the Prediction of Perception of Self-Efficacy of the “Internal Anxiety” subscale of Fear of Success
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β t p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 16,027 ,986 16,254 ,000
Initiating Behaviour -,224 ,036 -,341 -6,282 ,000 -,319 -,245
Mai nta ining Behaviou r -,102 ,051 -,107 -1,995 ,046 -,251 -,080
Completing Behaviour ,180 ,052 ,171 3,443 ,001 -,044 ,137
Struggling With Obstacles ,039 ,068 ,026 ,574 ,566 -,043 ,023
R=0.36, R2=0.13, F=22.639, p=0.001
Tab le 7. Results of the Analysis on the Prediction of Perception of Self-Efficacy of the “Avoiding Success” subscale of Fear of Success
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β T p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 11,722 ,807 14,528 ,000
Initiating Behaviour -,093 ,029 -,175 -3,170 ,002 -,250 -,126
Mai nta ining Behaviou r -,142 ,042 -,186 -3,383 ,001 -,255 -,135
Completing Behaviour ,000 ,043 ,000 -,005 ,996 -,101 ,000
Struggling With Obstacles ,183 ,055 ,151 3,305 ,001 ,023 ,132
R=0.31, R2=0.10, F=16.210, p=0.001
Universal Journal of Educational Research 6(6): 1278-1285, 2018 1283
3.8. Findings Related to the Relationship between
Success Fear, Self-efficacy Perception and Life
Satisfaction
One of the objectives of the present research is finding
out whether fear of success and self-efficacy has any
effects on life satisfaction. The findings of this analysis are
presented in Table 8. As presented in Table 8, fear of
success and self-efficacy perception together explain 14%
of life satisfaction (F=49.982, R2=0.14, p=0.001). While
self-efficacy explains the 13% of this variation alone, this
rate increases to 14% along with fear of success. There is
a significant positive correlation between self-efficacy and
life satisfaction at .01 level and there was a significant
negative correlation between fear of success and life
satisfaction at .01 level.
3.11. Findings Related to the Relations between
Self-efficacy Perception Subscales and Life
Satisfaction
Findings related to the relationships between
self-efficacy perception and life satisfaction in terms of
subscales are presented in Table 9. As presented in Table 9,
the effective subscale of self-efficacy on life satisfaction is
“initiating the behavior” subscale. Initiating the behavior
subscale can explain the 9% of life satisfaction. This is
followed by “Struggling with Obstacles” subscale.
Struggling with obstacles explains the 6.5% of life
satisfaction. This is followed by completing the behavior
subscale, while the relationship between maintaining the
behavior subscale and life satisfaction isn’t significant.
3.12. Findings Related to the Relations between Fear of
Success Subscales and Life Satisfaction
Findings related to the relationships between fear of
success and life satisfaction are presented in Table 10.
Without self-efficacy, fear of success explains the 8% of
variation in life satisfaction. In other words, 8% of life
satisfaction can be explained by fear of success. When the
table is studied in terms of sub-scales of fear of success;
the relationships between three sub-scales of fear of
success except for the "Social outcomes of Success" and
life satisfaction are negative. Among the four sub-scales,
the only sub-scale positively correlated with life
satisfaction is the "Social Results of Success" subscale.
Among the four subscales, only the "internal anxiety"
sub-scale is significantly related with life satisfaction. The
relationship between life satisfaction and internal anxiety
subscale is significant at .01 level. In terms of fear of
success predicting the life satisfaction, internal anxiety
subscale is ranked first among the four subscales. This is
respectively followed by "social outcomes of success",
"avoiding success" and "internal anxiety".
Tab le 8. Analysis Results on ear of Success and the Self-Efficacy Predicting Life Satisfaction
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β t p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 14,675 2,063 7,115 ,000
Self-efficacy ,156 ,017 ,343 9,125 ,000 ,359 ,344
Fear of Success -,057 ,022 -,101 -2,670 ,008 -,152 -,106
R=0.37, R2=0.14, F=49.982, p=0.001
Tab le 9. Findings related to the Self-Efficacy Perception Subscales Predicting Life Satisfaction
Self-efficacy Subscales B SHB β T p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 11,152 1,510 7,387 ,000
Initiating Behaviour ,184 ,055 ,183 3,367 ,001 ,316 ,134
Mai ntaini ng Behaviour ,090 ,079 ,061 1,144 ,253 ,277 ,046
Completing Behaviour ,152 ,080 ,094 1,894 ,049 ,282 ,076
Struggling With Obstacles ,272 ,104 ,117 2,618 ,009 ,256 ,105
R=0.36, R2=0.13, F=23.416, p=0.001
Tab le 10. Findings related to the Fear of Success Subscales Predicting Life Satisfaction
Fear of Success Subscales B SHB β T p r Partial r
(Co nstant) 27,080 1,416 19,118 ,000
Social outcomes of Success ,049 ,039 ,062 1,514 ,131 ,058 ,061
Negating Success -,005 ,056 -,005 -,099 ,921 -,130 -,004
Internal Anxiety -,419 ,067 -,273 -6,232 ,000 -,267 -,243
Avoiding Success ,051 ,086 ,027 ,590 ,556 -,070 ,024
R=0.27, R2=0.08, F=12.613, p=0.001
1284 Fear of Success and Life Satisfaction in terms of Self-efficacy
4. Discussion
The present research has revealed that three variables
(self-efficacy, fear of success and life satisfaction)
interrelated. The relationship between self-efficacy and
fear of success is negative. Although the present research
doesn’t directly address to self-efficacy and fear of
success, the findings are in agreement with of some other
studies. Many previous studies have reported negative
relationships between low self-efficacy and low
self-esteem, depression and despair [1]. The present
research has found that there is a negative correlation
between self-efficacy, especially its "initiating behavior"
and "maintaining behavior" subscales and fear of success.
Taken that “initiating behavior” is the first step of an act
intended for a purpose, this finding has a logical basis.
The fact that an individual who has fear of success avoids
taking the first step on his path to success is particularly
emphasized in the study conducted by Miller [4].
Similarly, it is known that many people fail to succeed in
maintaining the behavior stage, even if they can manage
initiating the behavior stage. In our daily lives, there are
examples of many unfinished and quit tasks and acts. A
significant and negative correlation between these two
sub-scales of self-efficiency and fear of success is an
imp ortant finding in this respect.
Since self-efficacy is defined as the belief that the
individual can perform the behavior that produces the
result [2]; it is possible to consider the fear of success as
anxiety experienced due to the consequences of this belief,
which reveals the relationship between self-efficacy
perception and fear of success.
A similar interpretation can be provided for the
relationship between fear of success and life satisfaction.
According to the findings of the present research there is a
correlation of -15 between fear of success and life
satisfaction. R2 was calculated as 0.14. This finding
suggests that fear of success affects life satisfaction
negatively. Taken O'Sullivan’s [17] study revealing that
hope is the best predictor of life satisfaction and that fear
of success is a loss of hope in to consideration, the
findings of the present research are in complete agreement
with the findings of O'Sullivan.
A similar interpretation can be provided about the
relationship between self-efficacy perception and life
satisfaction. According to the findings of the present
research there is a positive correlation of .36 between
self-efficacy and life satisfaction. This finding is in
agreement with many previous studies. A previous study
by Vecchio et al. [18], reported that the strongest variable
that predicted life satisfaction was the self-efficacy
perception. The findings of the researches conducted by
Caprara, G. V., Patrizia Steca [19] and Şahin [20] are also
in agreement with the findings of the present research.
Additionally, another important finding of the present
research is that "initiating behavior" sub-scale of
self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of life satisfaction.
The "internal anxiety" subscale is the strongest predictor
of life satisfaction among the subscales of fear of success.
When these two findings are taken together, we can
mention the importance of "not being able to start
behavior" that is resulted from internal anxiety for
humans.
According to the findings of the present research, there
is no significant difference across genders in terms of both
the fear of success and self-efficacy perception. As
mentioned in the literature review, there are a number of
researches that report different findings on gender variable
[21] (Condry and Dyer, 1976: 237-248). The fact that
Stiver [22], in particular, reported no difference between
women and men in terms of fear of success, is in complete
agreement with the findings of the present research. On
the other hand, there was a significant difference across
genders in the subscale of "internal anxiety".
5. Conclusions
Consequently; the correlation values between the
variables are low when the research results are generally
evaluated. For this reason, data in our research provide
limited information for psychotherapy and intervention.
According to the findings that self-efficacy is affected by
fear of success and fear of success and self-efficacy also
have effects on life satisfaction; any kind of psychological
help to reduce the fear of success will self-efficacy.
Similarly, every effort to improve self-efficacy will reduce
fear of success. The increase in self-efficacy perception
and the decrease in fear of success will increase the
individuals’ life satisfaction.
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