Abstract
Individuals high in need for cognition are successful in achievement situations. According to motivation and personality theories, achievement goals might mediate the positive link between need for cognition and achievement. Testing this hypothesis, we investigated the longitudinal relation between need for cognition and grades, and its mediation via achievement goals across the last three secondary school years. We considered students' cognitive abilities, socio-economic status, and gender as covariates. 476 German students were followed from Grade 11 (t1; M = 16.43 years, SD = 0.55) to Grade 13 (t4). Longitudinal structural equation models revealed reciprocal relations between need for cognition and grades. We did not find hints on the mediating role of achievement goals. The findings underline the importance of need for cognition in school by showing that need for cognition predicts changes in grades independently from achievement goals and above cognitive abilities, SES, and gender.
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