Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of comparison targets' academic performance and students' perceived academic competence in improving students' academic performance. Seventhgrade junior high school students (N=213) participated in the study. The results showed that seventh graders who nominated a comparison target in math chose same-sex students who were slightly outperforming them. When students compared themselves to others who were doing well in math, their academic performance was more likely to improve if they viewed themselves as competent. In contrast, if students who compared upward viewed themselves as less competent, their academic performance did not improve. Also, students' perception of their academic competence was not related to improved academic performance if they compared themselves with others who were not doing well in math.
