The academic and adjustment indices were not significantly correlated (-.09). Individual items of tacit knowledge correlated differently with the academic index and the adjustment index. The academic index was correlated with the perceived importance of maintaining a high GPA (.42); doing extra reading and school work not specifically assigned (.27); not attending optional weekly review sections (.23); not skimming required reading the morning before class (.37); not preparing a brief outline of points to raise in class discussion (.31); not helping friends with their assignments (.34); not behaving consistently from situation to situation (.25); finding it uncharacteristic to accept pressure and stress as parts of life (.30); finding it uncharacteristic to stand up for oneself (.34); and finding it uncharacteristic to play a sport or exercise regularly (.45).

Items that correlated significantly with the adjustment index included beliefs that professors value a clear, direct writing style, good organization of thoughts and ideas, and creative or unusual ideas (.38); beliefs that professors value papers that bring in outside interests or material (.27); beliefs that it is important sometimes to take on too many responsibilities at once (.31); seeking advice from several faculty in addition to one's own professors (.31); taking classes that permit occasional absences (.36); being positive and looking on the bright side of life (.42); not being intimidated (.33); being flexible (.27); maintaining a strong sense of confidence and independence (.37); not worrying unnecessarily or destructively (.31); knowing how to make oneself happy (.32); and not letting small disappointments affect one's long-term goals (.29).

Williams and Sternberg also obtained prediction of academic and adjustment indices with subsets of items from the tacit-knowledge inventory. Four items (not preparing an outline of points to raise in class discussion; maintaining a high GPA; not helping friends with assignments; and not playing a varsity or intramural sport) were predictive of the academic index, with an overall R² of .43. Six items (believing professors value a clear, direct writing style; maintaining a strong sense of confidence and independence; standing up for oneself; sometimes taking on too many responsibilities at once; seeking advice from faculty in addition to the course instructor; and taking classes that permit occasional absences) were predictive of the adjustment index, with an overall R² of .63. This study showed that tacit knowledge is important not only in occupational settings, but in school settings as well.

5.8 Conclusions from the tacit-knowledge research program

We organize a discussion of the findings from the tacit-knowledge research around four main issues: (a) the relationship of tacit knowledge to experience; (b) the relationship of tacit knowledge to general cognition; (c) tacit knowledge as a general construct; and (d) the relationship of tacit knowledge to performance.