Validation of the Mehrabian need for achievement scale with college of education students.

Abstract

Summary. A sample of 520 student teachers (344 females and 176 males) in eight colleges of education, completed an anglicised version of the Mehrabian need for achievement scale, a questionnaire measure in parallel male and female forms, together with other personality and attitudinal schedules. In four separate validation studies the Mehrabian scale was found to differentiate between students in terms of their self‐images, their intellectual achievement responsibility, and their occupational aspirations. The Mehrabian scale is an objectively‐scorable, easily‐administered measure of n'ach against which performance criteria can be established. Its use in future studies of student motivation is recommended.