For years, educators, counselors, and parents have debated whether underachievers can outgrow this behavior and perform up to their abilities as adults. What happens educationally, occupationally, and maritally to underachievers after they leave high school? In the largest sample of underachievers and the first long-term (13-year) study ever conducted, the authors explore whether underachievers "catch up" after high school to the level of their abilities, the traits of those who do, and the traits of those who don't. Through an analysis of the 13-year longitudinal study, they compare underachievers with students who receive the same grades and students who have tested at the same ability level but who have performed better in school. Covering such issues as personality variables, learning strategies, self-esteem, classroom structure, the educational system, and parental styles, the authors sift through the data to discover what factors are associated with underachievement and what techniques have worked to help these students improve their performance.

An integrated approach to the psychology of underachievement, unifying theory and practice. Examines different types of underachievers, explores the relationship between personality and underachievement, and provides useful guidelines for clinical practice. Provides an outline and summary of the voluminous (and often contradictory) literature, then presents theoretical models of the underachiever that are grounded in mainstream diagnostic and therapeutic theory. Offers examples of each personality type, so practitioners can easily recognize and treat them.