165 students in introductory psychology were administered a modified TAT task scored for Fear of Failure using procedures developed by Birney, et al., in 1969. Significant differences in scores on Fear of Failure were reported between students in two-parent homes and those from father-absent homes. Differences in Fear of Failure scores were largest between intact families and those families where the father had died and next largest between intact families and father-absence due to divorce or separation, with greater effect of father's absence on the lives of boys than of girls.
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