The Academic Threat Appraisal Ratio Scale (ATARS): Insights into Attainment, Academic Progression, and Retention in Higher Education
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| Title: | The Academic Threat Appraisal Ratio Scale (ATARS): Insights into Attainment, Academic Progression, and Retention in Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Simon Cassidy (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Educational Psychology. 2026 96(1):90-107. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Measures (Individuals), Risk Assessment, Stress Variables, Performance, Higher Education, At Risk Students, Potential Dropouts, Dropout Characteristics, College Freshmen, Academic Failure, Self Efficacy, Predictor Variables |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjep.12780 |
| ISSN: | 0007-0998 2044-8279 |
| Abstract: | Background: Previous studies examining threat appraisal and the influence of stress on human performance conclude that a challenge state leads to better performance than a threat state. Despite its potential, threat appraisal, particularly using self-report measures, has been the subject of limited investigation in applied higher educational contexts. Aims: The study explored the potential of self-report academic threat appraisal to explain academic progression and drop out in first-year students and investigated associations between self-report academic threat appraisal and relevant non-cognitive factors. Sample: The sample comprised 186 first-year undergraduate university students. Method: Students completed a newly adapted self-report threat appraisal measure, the Academic Threat Appraisal Ratio Scale (ATARS), at the beginning of their degree course. End-of-year grade point average and academic progression were also measured along with self-report measures of academic self-efficacy, academic resilience, grit, and mindset. Results: Findings revealed that a significantly greater proportion of students eliciting a challenge state progressed at first attempt, and of those students failing to progress at first attempt, a significantly greater proportion had elicited a threat state (X[superscript 2] (1) = 4.445, p = 0.035). Furthermore, academic threat appraisal was identified as a significant predictor of academic progression, while academic self-efficacy was identified as a significant predictor of academic threat appraisal. Conclusions: Evidence supports self-report academic threat appraisal as a significant factor in student attainment and academic progression in higher education, suggesting that the ATARS offers a relatively simple, valid, and scalable tool for early screening of students, enabling targeted student support. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1496079 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Background: Previous studies examining threat appraisal and the influence of stress on human performance conclude that a challenge state leads to better performance than a threat state. Despite its potential, threat appraisal, particularly using self-report measures, has been the subject of limited investigation in applied higher educational contexts. Aims: The study explored the potential of self-report academic threat appraisal to explain academic progression and drop out in first-year students and investigated associations between self-report academic threat appraisal and relevant non-cognitive factors. Sample: The sample comprised 186 first-year undergraduate university students. Method: Students completed a newly adapted self-report threat appraisal measure, the Academic Threat Appraisal Ratio Scale (ATARS), at the beginning of their degree course. End-of-year grade point average and academic progression were also measured along with self-report measures of academic self-efficacy, academic resilience, grit, and mindset. Results: Findings revealed that a significantly greater proportion of students eliciting a challenge state progressed at first attempt, and of those students failing to progress at first attempt, a significantly greater proportion had elicited a threat state (X[superscript 2] (1) = 4.445, p = 0.035). Furthermore, academic threat appraisal was identified as a significant predictor of academic progression, while academic self-efficacy was identified as a significant predictor of academic threat appraisal. Conclusions: Evidence supports self-report academic threat appraisal as a significant factor in student attainment and academic progression in higher education, suggesting that the ATARS offers a relatively simple, valid, and scalable tool for early screening of students, enabling targeted student support. |
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| ISSN: | 0007-0998 2044-8279 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjep.12780 |
