Necessary and Unnecessary Help-Seeking in Children

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Abstract
The present study examined the task-related help-seeking behavior of 85 third- and fifth-grade boys and girls of varying ability. Children were given the opportunity to seek help as they desired. Their bids for help were classified objectively as necessary or unnecessary. Their preference for indirect versus direct help was also assessed. Results indicated that, with increased age, children seek more necessary help than unnecessary help and clearly prefer indirect help to direct help. Girls, more than boys, were found to prefer mastery-oriented help, especially at low ability levels. Implications of the findings for understanding individual differences in the adaptive use of help-seeking in achievement situations are discussed.

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