The study attempted to examine a set of hypotheses relating fear of failure (FF) to motivation and their effect on choice of task difficulty level among high school students (N = 115). The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI), a rating scale on participants’ inclination to take part in a visual IQ task, the completion of one visual IQ task and the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) were group administered. Results were computed using analysis of variance, correlation, regression and non parametric tests. Obtained data indicated that those who are intrinsically motivated were more inclined to take part in a novel task than those extrinsically motivated or amotivated. The findings also revealed that choosing to participate in a proposed visual IQ task depended on whether the school was English or French in orientation, and the higher the grade level, the less likely they were to participate. There was a further tendency for older participants to choose an easier level of the IQ task than the younger ones. Results were explained in terms of FF needing the proper context to operate effectively.