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Dark Side Of Success 2026/2027 – Success Psychology, Achievement, Pressure, Wealth &
Personal Growth Study Guide & Practice Questions (100 Questions With Verified Answers)
Study Guide Note: This practice exam covers the psychological, emotional, and social costs
associated with high achievement, wealth pursuit, and success-driven cultures. Each
question includes the correct answer and a well-elaborated rationale grounded in peer-
reviewed research. The content draws from Kasser & Ryan's work on financial success as a
life aspiration, Luthar's research on affluent youth, Staw's escalation-of-commitment theory,
and Maslach's burnout model.
Section 1: Success Psychology & Achievement Motivation (Questions 1–20)
1. What did Kasser and Ryan's 1993 research conclude about individuals who prioritize
financial success as a central life aspiration?
A. They experience higher life satisfaction than those who do not prioritize wealth
B. They show lower well-being, poorer mental health, and more behavioral disorders
C. Financial aspirations have no measurable effect on psychological adjustment
D. Wealth prioritization improves social productivity and global adjustment
Answer: B. Kasser and Ryan's three studies demonstrated that the relative centrality of
money-related values is negatively related to well-being and mental health, with high
financial aspiration associated with lower global adjustment and more behavioral disorders .
2. What is the "dark side of the American Dream" according to Kasser and Ryan?
A. The impossibility of achieving wealth for most people
B. The psychological costs of prioritizing extrinsic goals like money over intrinsic goals
C. The economic instability of capitalist systems
D. The failure of education to prepare people for careers
Answer: B. The "dark side" refers to the deleterious consequences of materialistic
worldviews—specifically, that prioritizing financial success as a central life aspiration is
negatively associated with adjustment and well-being .
3. According to Kahneman and colleagues' research, what happens to the negative effect
of wealth aspiration when financial success is actually achieved?
A. The negative effect intensifies due to guilt
B. The negative effect disappears and life satisfaction increases with income
C. The negative effect remains unchanged regardless of success
D. The negative effect transforms into anxiety
Answer: B. Kahneman found that although dreams of wealth predicted reduced life
satisfaction overall, this relationship disappeared with financial success. Richer people had
higher life satisfaction, and the enhanced satisfaction from financial success was unaffected
by earlier wealth dreams .
,2
4. What did Luthar's research on affluent youth reveal compared to inner-city youth?
A. Affluent youth had significantly lower rates of depression and substance use
B. Affluent youth were doing worse on measures of depression, anxiety, and substance use
C. There were no significant differences between the two groups
D. Inner-city youth had higher rates of all negative outcomes
Answer: B. Luthar's groundbreaking study found that upper-middle-class suburban youth
were significantly more likely to use alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs than inner-city kids,
with suburban girls suffering much higher levels of clinical depression and both genders
showing elevated anxiety .
5. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report, which environmental
condition negatively impacts adolescent wellness?
A. Financial poverty only
B. Excessive pressure to excel
C. Lack of extracurricular activities
D. Insufficient parental supervision
Answer: B. The RWJF report named "excessive pressure to excel" among the top
environmental conditions negatively impacting adolescent wellness, noting that
environments characterized by extreme pressure to succeed can cause high stress, anxiety,
and substance use .
6. What is the "wrecked-by-success" premise?
A. The idea that success inevitably leads to moral decay
B. The assumption that exceptional success causes negative health, well-being, and
relationship outcomes
C. The theory that success is impossible to maintain
D. The belief that wealth destroys family bonds
Answer: B. The "wrecked-by-success" premise posits that being exceptionally successful has
negative consequences for health, well-being, and family relationships. Kell et al.'s research
directly investigated this premise among exceptionally successful individuals .
7. What did Kell et al.'s empirical investigation find regarding the "wrecked-by-success"
premise?
A. The premise was fully confirmed across all measures
B. Exceptionally successful individuals did not show the hypothesized negative consequences
C. Success caused moderate negative effects only in family relationships
D. The premise applied only to women
, 3
Answer: B. Kell et al.'s comprehensive study found that exceptionally successful individuals
did not show the hypothesized negative physical, mental, or psychological health outcomes
compared to equally able but less successful peers .
8. What is "survival guilt" in the context of high achievement?
A. Guilt over surviving a traumatic event
B. Guilt experienced by high achievers over leaving behind family and community members
C. Guilt about achieving more than one's parents
D. Guilt about financial success
Answer: B. Survival guilt (also called achievement guilt) refers to the guilt experienced by
"super-achievers" who have achieved goals bringing them financial gain and employment
security not experienced by family members, often triggering envy or hostility from those
"left behind" .
9. According to the research on survival guilt, what behavior often results from this guilt?
A. Complete withdrawal from family
B. "Giving in" to requests for financial assistance even at personal sacrifice
C. Aggressive behavior toward family members
D. Denial of one's own achievements
Answer: B. Out of guilt, the super-achiever often finds themselves "giving in" to requests for
financial assistance, even when the loan or gift is made at some sacrifice .
10. What is the "escalation of commitment" phenomenon?
A. Increasing investment in a chosen course of action despite negative outcomes
B. Committing to multiple goals simultaneously
C. Escalating one's ambitions after success
D. Commitment to ethical principles under pressure
Answer: A. Escalation of commitment occurs when individuals or organizations continue
investing in a failing course of action despite mounting losses and negative feedback .
11. According to Staw's research, what factors drive escalation of commitment?
A. Sunk-cost fallacy alone
B. Self-justification, social identity, and completion effects jointly
C. Prospect theory alone
D. Groupthink alone
Answer: B. Staw and colleagues showed escalation is multi-determined: self-justification,
social identity/face-saving, and completion effects interact, with sunk cost only one
contributor .
12. What is the self-serving bias in attribution?
Dark Side Of Success 2026/2027 – Success Psychology, Achievement, Pressure, Wealth &
Personal Growth Study Guide & Practice Questions (100 Questions With Verified Answers)
Study Guide Note: This practice exam covers the psychological, emotional, and social costs
associated with high achievement, wealth pursuit, and success-driven cultures. Each
question includes the correct answer and a well-elaborated rationale grounded in peer-
reviewed research. The content draws from Kasser & Ryan's work on financial success as a
life aspiration, Luthar's research on affluent youth, Staw's escalation-of-commitment theory,
and Maslach's burnout model.
Section 1: Success Psychology & Achievement Motivation (Questions 1–20)
1. What did Kasser and Ryan's 1993 research conclude about individuals who prioritize
financial success as a central life aspiration?
A. They experience higher life satisfaction than those who do not prioritize wealth
B. They show lower well-being, poorer mental health, and more behavioral disorders
C. Financial aspirations have no measurable effect on psychological adjustment
D. Wealth prioritization improves social productivity and global adjustment
Answer: B. Kasser and Ryan's three studies demonstrated that the relative centrality of
money-related values is negatively related to well-being and mental health, with high
financial aspiration associated with lower global adjustment and more behavioral disorders .
2. What is the "dark side of the American Dream" according to Kasser and Ryan?
A. The impossibility of achieving wealth for most people
B. The psychological costs of prioritizing extrinsic goals like money over intrinsic goals
C. The economic instability of capitalist systems
D. The failure of education to prepare people for careers
Answer: B. The "dark side" refers to the deleterious consequences of materialistic
worldviews—specifically, that prioritizing financial success as a central life aspiration is
negatively associated with adjustment and well-being .
3. According to Kahneman and colleagues' research, what happens to the negative effect
of wealth aspiration when financial success is actually achieved?
A. The negative effect intensifies due to guilt
B. The negative effect disappears and life satisfaction increases with income
C. The negative effect remains unchanged regardless of success
D. The negative effect transforms into anxiety
Answer: B. Kahneman found that although dreams of wealth predicted reduced life
satisfaction overall, this relationship disappeared with financial success. Richer people had
higher life satisfaction, and the enhanced satisfaction from financial success was unaffected
by earlier wealth dreams .
,2
4. What did Luthar's research on affluent youth reveal compared to inner-city youth?
A. Affluent youth had significantly lower rates of depression and substance use
B. Affluent youth were doing worse on measures of depression, anxiety, and substance use
C. There were no significant differences between the two groups
D. Inner-city youth had higher rates of all negative outcomes
Answer: B. Luthar's groundbreaking study found that upper-middle-class suburban youth
were significantly more likely to use alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs than inner-city kids,
with suburban girls suffering much higher levels of clinical depression and both genders
showing elevated anxiety .
5. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report, which environmental
condition negatively impacts adolescent wellness?
A. Financial poverty only
B. Excessive pressure to excel
C. Lack of extracurricular activities
D. Insufficient parental supervision
Answer: B. The RWJF report named "excessive pressure to excel" among the top
environmental conditions negatively impacting adolescent wellness, noting that
environments characterized by extreme pressure to succeed can cause high stress, anxiety,
and substance use .
6. What is the "wrecked-by-success" premise?
A. The idea that success inevitably leads to moral decay
B. The assumption that exceptional success causes negative health, well-being, and
relationship outcomes
C. The theory that success is impossible to maintain
D. The belief that wealth destroys family bonds
Answer: B. The "wrecked-by-success" premise posits that being exceptionally successful has
negative consequences for health, well-being, and family relationships. Kell et al.'s research
directly investigated this premise among exceptionally successful individuals .
7. What did Kell et al.'s empirical investigation find regarding the "wrecked-by-success"
premise?
A. The premise was fully confirmed across all measures
B. Exceptionally successful individuals did not show the hypothesized negative consequences
C. Success caused moderate negative effects only in family relationships
D. The premise applied only to women
, 3
Answer: B. Kell et al.'s comprehensive study found that exceptionally successful individuals
did not show the hypothesized negative physical, mental, or psychological health outcomes
compared to equally able but less successful peers .
8. What is "survival guilt" in the context of high achievement?
A. Guilt over surviving a traumatic event
B. Guilt experienced by high achievers over leaving behind family and community members
C. Guilt about achieving more than one's parents
D. Guilt about financial success
Answer: B. Survival guilt (also called achievement guilt) refers to the guilt experienced by
"super-achievers" who have achieved goals bringing them financial gain and employment
security not experienced by family members, often triggering envy or hostility from those
"left behind" .
9. According to the research on survival guilt, what behavior often results from this guilt?
A. Complete withdrawal from family
B. "Giving in" to requests for financial assistance even at personal sacrifice
C. Aggressive behavior toward family members
D. Denial of one's own achievements
Answer: B. Out of guilt, the super-achiever often finds themselves "giving in" to requests for
financial assistance, even when the loan or gift is made at some sacrifice .
10. What is the "escalation of commitment" phenomenon?
A. Increasing investment in a chosen course of action despite negative outcomes
B. Committing to multiple goals simultaneously
C. Escalating one's ambitions after success
D. Commitment to ethical principles under pressure
Answer: A. Escalation of commitment occurs when individuals or organizations continue
investing in a failing course of action despite mounting losses and negative feedback .
11. According to Staw's research, what factors drive escalation of commitment?
A. Sunk-cost fallacy alone
B. Self-justification, social identity, and completion effects jointly
C. Prospect theory alone
D. Groupthink alone
Answer: B. Staw and colleagues showed escalation is multi-determined: self-justification,
social identity/face-saving, and completion effects interact, with sunk cost only one
contributor .
12. What is the self-serving bias in attribution?
