Children's Achievement Motivation Research Articles

Maternal Expectancies for Achievement, IQ, and Autonomous Achievement Motivation in Kindergarten Children

This study examined the relationship between maternal expectancies of achievement and autonomous achievement motivation in children as moderated by IQ. Subjects were 67 white kindergartners and their mothers. Autonomous achievement motivation was assessed with Veroff's resumption technique, and IQ was measured by the Kuhlman-Anderson Intelligence Test. Mothers' expectancies for achievement were obtained through home interviews using an adaptation of the Parental Development Timetable. Moderated regression analyses indicated a significant interaction for maternal expectancies of achievement and children's IQs. A bivariate regression plot indicated that under conditions of low maternal expectancies, children with high IQs express greater autonomous achievement motivation than children with lower IQs. No differences were found between the two groups of children for conditions of high maternal expectancies.

Achievement Motivation in Children of Three Ethnic Groups in the United States

Children of three ethnic groups in the United States-Anglos, Blacks, and Mexican Americans-were asked to tell a story to each of seven line drawings depicting persons in a setting related to education. Stories were scored for n Achievement and family achievement (oriented toward achievement goals from which the family would benefit or that would gain recognition from family members). The results showed that Mexican-American and Black children scored higher on family achievement than did Anglo children. Anglos, however, scored higher on n Achievement. On those cards depicting parental figures, however, Mexican-American and Black children tended to score higher on n Achievement than Anglo children. Females in all three ethnic groups scored lower on n Achievement but higher on family achievement than males. It was concluded that contextual conditions are most important in expression of achievement motivation and that the particular form in which achievement is expressed is determined by the definition that culture gives to it.