Achievement Motivation Theory Research Articles

Using a two-factor theory of achievement motivation to examine performance-based outcomes and self-regulatory processes

Many researchers agree that achievement motivation represents a multidimensional concept. We employed a two-factor theory of achievement motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic factors) to predict three achievement-related factors: generalized expectancy for success, need for cognition, and self-reinforcement. As predicted, intrinsic achievement motivation was positively associated with scores on all three achievement-related factors, whereas extrinsic achievement motivation was positively related only to generalized expectancy for success. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that intrinsic achievement motivation better predicted all three factors than did extrinsic achievement motivation. Implications for employing a two-factor model of achievement motivation are presented for both basic and applied applications.

Task‐ and self‐related pathways to deep learning: The mediating role of achievement goals, classroom attentiveness, and group participation

The expectancy-value and achievement goal theories are arguably the two most dominant theories of achievement motivation in the contemporary literature. However, very few studies have examined how the constructs derived from both theories are related to deep learning. Moreover, although there is evidence demonstrating the links between achievement goals and deep learning, little research has examined the mediating processes involved. The aims of this research were to: (a) investigate the role of task- and self-related beliefs (task value and self-efficacy) as well as achievement goals in predicting deep learning in mathematics and (b) examine how classroom attentiveness and group participation mediated the relations between achievement goals and deep learning. The sample comprised 1,476 Grade-9 students from 39 schools in Singapore. Students' self-efficacy, task value, achievement goals, classroom attentiveness, group participation, and deep learning in mathematics were assessed by a self-reported questionnaire administered on-line. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the hypothesized model linking these variables. Task value was predictive of task-related achievement goals whereas self-efficacy was predictive of task-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals. Achievement goals were found to fully mediate the relations between task value and self-efficacy on the one hand, and classroom attentiveness, group participation, and deep learning on the other. Classroom attentiveness and group participation partially mediated the relations between achievement goal adoption and deep learning. The findings suggest that (a) task- and self-related pathways are two possible routes through which students could be motivated to learn and (b) like task-approach goals, performance-approach goals could lead to adaptive processes and outcomes.

Attributional perspectives on academic judgments

Since the 1940s (see Heider, 1944, 1958), the concept oi attribution is a key term insocial psychology that has stimulated intensive research in several directions (Gilbert, 1998;Kelley & Michela, 1980), Two major trends of research can be identified. The first comprisesstudies that focused on the perceived causes of others' or of one's own behavior. Thesestudies examined causal inferences people use to explain others' (hetero-attribution) or theirown behavior (self-attribution); what infonnation about an event are used by a perceiver (selfor others) to infer a cause (Heider, 1958; Jones & Davis, 1965; Kelley, 1967), In the secondline of research, studies investigated the consequences of attributing an event to differentcauses. The questions raised in these studies are how the attributions influence our feelingsabout past events, our expectations about the future, our attitudes, our behaviors and ourconceptions of ourselves, but also how they can affect the perception, the judgment and thereaction of other persons about us. Among the various distinctions of causal attribution madeby researchers (intentionality, globality, etc), the most popular is arguably the internal-external dimension. The success of this distinction emerged with Rotter's binary classification(1966) which permits to classify persons into one of the two profiles on the basis of their locusof control - opposing intemal persons to extemal persons. In this perspective, the aim of locusof control studies is not to investigate the mechanism of explaining behavior and emotionalstates of individuals (antecedent of attributions): rather, it eoncems the level of the causalrelationship that people set up between their own behavior or personal characteristics and thereinforcement or outcome received (positive and negative). This dichotomy became thestarting point for most of the locus of control studies that investigated the relationship betweena subject's locus of control and his/her performance or success (e,g,, professional, academic)and his/her well-being (see Findley & Cooper, 1983; Furnham & Steele, 1993; O'Brien,1984), In the attributional theory field, the argument on the dichotomous I-E distinction hasbeen enriched, very early on, by researchers such as Weiner et al, (see Weiner, Frieze, Kukla,Reed, Rest, & Rosenbaum, 1972; Weiner, 1979, 1985) who proposed the idea that secondand third dimensions of causality could be required: controllability (controllable vs.uncontrollable), and stability (stable v,$, unstable). Nowadays, a large set of empirical studiessupport the conclusions of Weiner's attribution theory of achievement motivation (Weiner,

Poor Performance in Mathematics: Is there a basis for a self‐worth explanation for women?

The self‐worth theory of achievement motivation holds that in situations in which poor performance is likely to reveal low ability, certain students (known as self‐worth protective students) intentionally withdraw effort in order to avoid the negative implications of poor performance in terms of damage to self‐worth. In this study, evidence of self‐worth protection was sought where it is perhaps least likely to be seen: in women in mathematics, where the negative effects of stereotype threat are suggested. Links between self‐worth protection and performance on three maths tasks (a computational task, an algebraic task, and the Tower of Hanoi, a game‐like task tapping into mathematical skills yet devoid of mathematical signs and symbols) and a verbal task (a remote associates task) were examined in an intellectually evaluative situation (following failure) and in an intellectually non‐evaluative situation (following success). Relative to low maths self‐worth protective students, high maths self‐worth protective students performed poorly on both mathematical tasks, but not on either the Tower of Hanoi or the remote associates test. Collectively, findings are consistent with the conclusion that a self‐worth explanation can be applied to the poor performance of women in mathematics. Critical eliciting conditions appear to be mathematical signs and symbols and the presence of evaluative threat.

The Effect of Students' Achievement Motivation on their Cognitive Performance Behaviour

This has been an attempt to investigate the effect of achievement motivation on students cognitive activities. In the study, 200 SS II students were selected by stratified random sampling as participants. Achievement Motivation Scale, a 30-item multiple choice questions in chemistry (compiled from past General Certificate Education of Certificate Examination and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination and a 25-item Attitude Scale for Chemistry were the instruments used to collect data. All the three instruments were validated through pilot study. Three Research Hypotheses were stated to guide the research. Pearson product Moment Corrleation Statistics was used to analyze data. It was found that both the Achievement Motivation Scale scores, the attitude scale scores and student perception of the teaching method scores show significant correlation to students academic achievement in chemistry. Theories of Achievement Motivation and behaviour modification were used to explain the findings from the study. Based on the findings, recommendation were made. Keywords : Achievement Motivation; cognitive performance. International Journal of Educational Research Vol. 3 (1) 2007 pp. 105-113

A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement.

Stigmatization can give rise to belonging uncertainty. In this state, people are sensitive to information diagnostic of the quality of their social connections. Two experiments tested how belonging uncertainty undermines the motivation and achievement of people whose group is negatively characterized in academic settings. In Experiment 1, students were led to believe that they might have few friends in an intellectual domain. Whereas White students were unaffected, Black students (stigmatized in academics) displayed a drop in their sense of belonging and potential. In Experiment 2, an intervention that mitigated doubts about social belonging in college raised the academic achievement (e.g., college grades) of Black students but not of White students. Implications for theories of achievement motivation and intervention are discussed.

Learning and Performance Goal Orientation of Salespeople Revisited: The Role of Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Orientations

This study revisits the conceptualization and operationalization of salesperson goal orientation, a mid-level construct in the achievement motivation model. Goal orientation has, in recent sales studies, been conceptualized to be comprised of a learning and a performance goal orientation. However, studies examining goal orientation’s relationship with salesperson performance and behavior have found inconsistent results. Guided by seminal studies in achievement motivation theory, this study proposes that performance goal orientation is comprised of two distinct components: a performanceapproach goal orientation and a performance-avoidance goal orientation, the latter of which is grounded in fear of failure. The contemporary model of goal orientation is tested and compared with the classic model. The results indicate that the classic model more accurately captures salesperson goal orientation and its relationship with salesperson performance. Notably, a performance-avoidance goal orientation is negatively related to salesperson performance.

Development and Validation of Scores From an Instrument Measuring Student Test-Taking Motivation

Using the expectancy-value model of achievement motivation as a basis, this study's purpose is to develop, apply, and validate scores from a self-report instrument measuring student test-taking motivation. Sampled evidence of construct validity for the present sample indicates that a number of the items in the instrument could be used as an indicator of student test-taking motivation. Exploratory factor analyses suggests that the test-taking motivation construct is distinct from general attitudes toward a subject and that task value perceptions are distinct from task performance expectancies. The instrument needs further development to consolidate its psychometric properties and to elaborate on the test-taking motivation construct in relation to the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation.

Gender and motivation

The role of gender in shaping achievement motivation has a long history in psychological and educational research. In this review, gender differences in motivation are examined using four contemporary theories of achievement motivation, including attribution, expectancy-value, self-efficacy, and achievement goal perspectives. Across all theories, findings indicate girls' and boys' motivation-related beliefs and behaviors continue to follow gender role stereotypes. Boys report stronger ability and interest beliefs in mathematics and science, whereas girls have more confidence and interest in language arts and writing. Gender effects are moderated by ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and classroom context. Additionally, developmental research indicates that gender differences in motivation are evident early in school, and increase for reading and language arts over the course of school. The role of the home and school environment in the development of these gender patterns is examined. Important implications for school professionals are highlighted.

Classroom Goal Structure, Student Motivation, and Academic Achievement

Over the past 25 years, achievement goal theory has emerged as one of the most prominent theories of achievement motivation. This chapter uses an achievement goal framework to examine the influence of classroom and school environments on students' academic motivation and achievement. Considerable evidence suggests that elementary and secondary students show the most positive motivation and learning patterns when their school settings emphasize mastery, understanding, and improving skills and knowledge. Whereas school environments that are focused on demonstrating high ability and competing for grades can increase the academic performance of some students, research suggests that many young people experience diminished motivation under these conditions. The implications of achievement goal theory for examining the impact of school reform are discussed.

Fostering Achievement Motivation in Health Education

Abstract Though HIV preventive and other health interventions in educational settings have often been grounded in health behavior theory, such interventions have rarely taken into account achievement motivation theory. The purpose of this article is to discuss how and why theories of both health behavior and achievement motivation have the potential to play an important part in the design and delivery of HIV preventive interventions in school settings. First, we briefly discuss health behavior theories, with a primary focus on their commonalties. Next, we discuss theories of achievement motivation and what is known about motivating students to learn and excel in the classroom, specifically applying these theories to safer sexual education. The complementary aspects of these theoretical perspectives are then considered. Finally, implications for improving the design of HIV preventive and other health interventions in school settings are discussed. Such interventions may be vastly improved if they pay great...

Construction and Initial Validation of the Chinese Reading Motivation Questionnaire

This paper describes the development and initial validation of a Chinese reading motivation questionnaire (CRMQ) which was designed to assess Chinese students' reading motivation in Hong Kong. The development of the CRMQ consisted of two steps. In the first study, groups of items were constructed based on achievement motivation theories and existing instruments. The initial version of the CRMQ was administered to a small group of Grade 7 students in Hong Kong and exploratory factor analysis, item‐total correlation, and reliability analyses were carried out to assess its psychometric quality. The CRMQ was then revised and administered to a larger sample of Grade 7 students in the second study. Findings of confirmatory factor analysis provided further validation for the proposed factor structure of the revised questionnaire. In addition, findings indicated that students' reading motivation was positively related to their strategy use, reading comprehension, and academic achievement. The findings of this study could enrich our understanding of Chinese reading motivation among Hong Kong students. Implications of these findings for implementing effective reading instruction in Chinese language teaching are also discussed.

Rôle des théories implicites de l’intelligence chez les élèves en situation d’apprentissage

Rôle des théories implicites de l’intelligence chez les élèves en situation d’apprentissage

How did motivational theories contributed to school education: Systematic review and evaluation of studies on application of three achievement motivation theories to instructional practice in Japan

How did motivational theories contributed to school education: Systematic review and evaluation of studies on application of three achievement motivation theories to instructional practice in Japan

Participation Motives of Special Olympics Athletes

This study examined sport participation motives of 147 Special Olympics athletes ages 21 to 70 years. Athletes completed a Sport Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ). No significant differences in participation motives were found for gender, age, race, or sport. Special Olympics athletes participate to win ribbons and medals, play with other people, get exercise, do something they’re good at, and have fun. Consistent with Nicholls’ achievement motivation theory, Special Olympics athletes participate primarily for task oriented and social integrative reasons rather than for ego oriented reasons. For Special Olympic athletes, optimal motivation results in a task oriented environment where coaches provide time for fun, facilitate opportunities for fitness, provide time to be with friends, and emphasize effort and improvement.

Construction and initial validation of the self-worth protection scale.

The self-worth theory of achievement motivation holds that in certain circumstances students stand to gain by deliberately withdrawing effort. When failure occurs despite effort, students are likely to conclude that failure resulted from lack of ability. Thus, withdrawing effort offers a defence against conclusions of low ability, thereby protecting self-worth. We undertook to assess the psychometric properties of the Self-Worth Protection Scale (SWPS). Data were obtained from 243 participants (Study 1) and 411 participants (Study 2) enrolled in undergraduate psychology courses at a university in the United States. We administered a number of scales, including the SWPS and scales assessing a fear of negative evaluation, academic self-esteem, uncertain global self-evaluations, self-handicapping, and causal uncertainty. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution (ability doubts, the importance of ability as a criterion of self-worth, and an avoidance orientation) utilising 33 of the original 44 items. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this three-factor solution was a poor fit of the data. After modifying the model, a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a three-factor solution with 26 of the original items and a higher order factor of self-worth protection was an adequate fit of the data. Reliability measures were acceptable for the three subscales and total score. The total score of the SWPS was positively correlated with theoretically related constructs, demonstrating construct validity. The SWPS appears to be a psychometrically sound scale to assist in identifying individuals who manifest self-worth protection in achievement situations.

ASPIRATIONS OF RURAL YOUTH

The purpose of this study was to determine the aspirations of rural youth and to identify perceived support for and barriers to achieving their goals. The population included all seniors enrolled in public and private high schools in a five county area of northwest Iowa. The students were asked to indicate their educational and occupational aspirations. Likert-type scales were used to measure perceptions regarding support for and barriers to achieving their goals. Tenets of achievement motivation theory were observed in the rural students. Town and farm students alike had diverse educational and occupational aspirations. A high level of congruence was observed between the students’ occupational aspirations and their educational goals, revealing that many students were following career paths. Students perceived that the environment provided by their schools was supportive of their aspirations. Barriers to achieving their goals were perceived as minimal.

A developmental examination of children's understanding of task difficulty in the physical domain

The purpose of this study was to examine children's understanding of task difficulty in the physical domain using the developmental component of Nicholls’ theory of achievement motivation as a framework. Children (N = 144; 8 boys and 8 girls at each age from 5–13 years) enrolled in public schools in a Southern city were participants. They were shown one normative and two objective arrays with structured interview questions following each array. A Piagetian structural analysis of the children's responses revealed the same three levels of understanding of task difficulty that Nicholls’ previously identified: egocentric, objective, and normative. Further, a nonparametric test of association between ordinal variables showed a significant positive relationship between children's age and their levels of understanding of task difficulty. No significant gender differences emerged for children's understanding of task difficulty. Children's personal preferences for task difficulty levels (i.e., easy, moderate, difficult) were assessed for those who were identified as possessing a mature conception of task difficulty (i.e., rated at Level 3). Qualitative analysis revealed that approximately 30% of the children indicated that if given a choice they would prefer to play an easy game that did not provide an optimal challenge. These results provide partial evidence to support Nicholls’ (1989) claim that as children develop a mature understanding of ability some will be at risk of displaying maladaptive motivational patterns.

Relations among Achievement Motives, Autonomy, Performance in Mathematics, and Satisfaction of Pupils in Elementary School

Based on a literature review a model of motivation was constructed with dispositional achievement motives at the global level, relative autonomy at the context-specific level, and performance and satisfaction in school at the criterion level. Among 110 elementary-school pupils, assessments included the Achievement Motives Scale for achievement motives, the Self-regulation Questionnaire for relative autonomy, the Mathematics Test for Children, and the Satisfaction at School Scale. Both bivariate and multiple regression analyses yielded the following significant results: (i) The motive to achieve success correlated positively and the motive to avoid failure correlated negatively with relative autonomy at school. (ii) The motive to avoid failure correlated negatively with performance in mathematics. (iii) Satisfaction in school correlated. positively with the motive to achieve success, relative autonomy, and performance. The results are discussed in relation to achievement motivation and self-determination theory.

Achievement motivation, anxiety and academic success in first year Master of Nursing students

Forty-one first semester master level nursing students from three Canadian universities participated in this descriptive correlational study to identify the influence of achievement motivation and anxiety on their academic success. Academic success was determined by their first semester grade point average (GPA). Participants had high achieving tendencies (M = 73.5) and academic ability (M = 81.9), supporting Atkinson’s (1957, 1964) achievement motivation theory which was used as the framework. While state anxiety was negatively correlated, trait anxiety was the only valid predictor of academic success. Academic ability and inherent anxiety had a greater potential for predicting students who would succeed, which has implications for nurse educators, administrators and researchers. However, the need to assess both cognitive and non-cognitive variables to determine master level nursing students’ ability to succeed is recommended.