兒童的能力概念影響其面對失敗時的歸因模式、進而影響其成就目標與學習動機。目前對兒童能力概念發展的研究，對象多以美國地區的兒童為主，極少針對台灣地區的兒童研究其能力概念的發展，因此本研究以台灣地區的兒童為對象，了解在台灣的文化環境下兒童能力概念發展之情形。

本研究的受試者為8歲、10歲、12歲的小學生共84人，以結構式訪談的方式，分別針對能力的定義、能力的改變性、以及能力與努力的關係等方面，了解兒童的能力概念發展情形。研究結果發現：在「能力的定義」、「能力是否隨環境而改變」、「能力是否受自身努力而改變」、「變聰明的方法」、「能力與努力的關係」等方面，受試者的回答呈現出年齡發展趨勢。研究者對研究結果加以討論，並提出研究限制及未來研究方向建議。

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