An Attempt to Arouse the Achievement Motivation of Young Women by Experimental Intervention

Abstract

The aim was to study short and medium-term effects of a structured achievement motivation course on the achievement motivation of adolescent women. Hypotheses were that (a) achievement motivation could be experimentally aroused by means of the course and, (b) experimentally aroused achievement motivation would persist over the medium term, i.e., for six months following the course. The research group consisted of 121 adolescent women students at a military training unit. Subjects were divided into an experimental group ( n = 58) and a control group ( n = 63). Both groups participated in four testing sessions which were scheduled for January, before and after the experimental intervention in June, and December. The experimental intervention was an adaptation of McClelland's original achievement motivation course. Questionnaires constructed to assess cognitive conscious dimensions of achievement motivation were used as dependent variable measures. Dimensions assessed were autonomous and social achievement values, hope of success and fear of failure, internal and external locus of control, sensitivity to rejection, and affiliation tendency, as well as dogmatism, level of autonomy, and values. Data were analysed by means of Hotelling's T2 test. No significant differences existed between levels of achievement motivation for the experimental and control groups in January or before the intervention in June. The hypothesis that the course would cause a significant increase in the level of achievement motivation of the experimental group was not supported. The results suggested that situational factors and personal characteristics of the experimental group contributed to the failure of the experimental intervention.