Social Achievement Goals Research Articles

An exploration of young adolescents' social achievement goals and social adjustment in middle school.

Two studies investigated the proposition that social achievement goals (different orientations toward social competence) are an important aspect of young adolescents' social motivation. Study 1 (N=153 6th-grade students) established that different orientations toward developing or demonstrating social competence can be seen in young adolescents' responses to open-ended questions about their social goals and social competence. Study 2 (N=217 6th-grade students) evaluated a new survey measure of social achievement goals for young adolescents. Exploratory factor analyses indicated a 3-factor model (social development, demonstration-approach, and demonstration-avoid goals). Different social achievement goals were associated with distinct patterns of subsequent self- and teacher-reported social adjustment (prosocial, aggressive, and anxious solitary behaviors, as well as social worry, best-friend quality, and perceived popularity). Effects for social achievement goals were independent of perceived social competence and gender.

Moving beyond academic achievement goal measures: A study of social achievement goals

The current research explored the theory of social goal orientation. More specifically, we conducted three studies utilizing six-independent university student samples to evaluate the construct validity of the Social Achievement Goal Orientation Scale (SAGOS; Ryan & Hopkins, 2003), a measure representing the construct of social goal orientation. The purpose of Study 1 was to: (1) compare the three-dimensional (mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) model of social goal orientation to three theoretically based competing models, (2) examine item functioning, and (3) assess generalizability of the factor structure. The fit of the proposed three-factor model was promising; however, areas of misfit and problematic items were identified. Stronger support for the three-factor structure of goal orientation was found using scores from an abbreviated 13-item SAGOS. In Study 2, item wording was altered slightly to evaluate a revised Social Achievement Goal Scale (SAGS), yet resulted in similar findings. Study 3 examined external validity evidence for the SAGS, garnering some support for the meaning of the scores. Although continued refinement of the SAGOS and SAGS is recommended, the findings help contribute to our general understanding and conceptualization of social goal theory and the role that social goals may play in academic contexts.

Social Achievement Goals: The Nature and Consequences of Different Orientations Toward Social Competence

The proposition that achievement goals are applicable to the social domain was examined in four studies. Study 1 established that different orientations toward developing or demonstrating social competence can be seen in individuals' responses to open-ended questions about their social goals and social competence. Studies 2 through 4 evaluated a new survey measure of social achievement goals. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized model of social achievement goals. Convergent and discriminant validity for the new measure of social achievement goals was established. In line with hypotheses, a social development goal was associated with adjustment and a social demonstration-avoid goal was associated with maladjustment both concurrently and longitudinally. A social development goal also was positively related to instructor ratings of students' social adjustment in small classroom settings. A social demonstration-approach goal was most often unrelated to adjustment. The importance of social achievement goals for a comprehensive understanding of social motivation and adjustment is discussed.

The Self-Worth Theory of Achievement Motivation: Findings and Implications

The Elementary School Journal Volume 85, Number 1 o 1984 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0013-5984/85/850 1 -0001 $0 1.00 The purpose of this article is to describe the self-worth theory of achievement motivation, to summarize the research generated under this model, and to consider the implications of research for classroom teaching and learning. The self-worth theory assumes that a central part of all classroom achievement is the need for students to protect their sense of worth or personal value. Perceptions of ability are critical to this self-protective process, since for many students the mere possession of high ability signifies worthiness. Moreover, ability is widely perceived as a major cause of success, and success in turn reflects well on the individual. For these reasons, I will focus on the topic of ability perceptions and on developmental changes in these perceptions. A second main theme of this article concerns the various strategies that students employ to maintain a sense of worthiness in the face of failure, an outcome that would otherwise lead to suspicions of inability. A third theme concerns a potential conflict of values between teachers and students. Specifically, the failure-avoiding strategies that students often use to maintain a sense of competency involve various subterfuge such as procrastination, not trying, and excuses. These tactics come in direct conflict with

Adolescent Groups and the School Organization

Previous articleNext article No AccessCommentAdolescent Groups and the School OrganizationPhilip A. CusickPhilip A. Cusick Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Volume 82, Number 1Nov., 1973 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/443120 Views: 2Total views on this site Citations: 7Citations are reported from Crossref Journal History This article was published in The School Review (1893-1979), which is continued by the American Journal of Education (1979-present). Copyright 1973 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Haixue Zhu, Ling Li, Hui Li How school leadership influences Chinese students’ reading literacy: A test of the rational, emotions, and organizational paths in rural schools, Children and Youth Services Review 119 (Dec 2020): 105534.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105534Jessica R. Toste, Sharon Vaughn, Leticia R. Martinez, Danielle A. Bustillos-SoRelle Content-area reading comprehension and teachers’ use of instructional time: effects on middle school students’ social studies knowledge, Reading and Writing 32, no.77 (Dec 2018): 1705–1722.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9925-7Sungok Serena Shim, W. Holmes Finch Academic and social achievement goals and early adolescents' adjustment: A latent class approach, Learning and Individual Differences 30 (Feb 2014): 98–105.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2013.10.015Mark Tarrant Adolescent Peer Groups and Social Identity, Social Development 11, no.11 (Jan 2002): 110–123.https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9507.00189 Table Hopping in the Cafeteria: An Exploration of “Racial” Integration in Early Adolescent Social Groups, Anthropology & Education Quarterly 23, no.33 (Sep 1992): 199–220.https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.1992.23.3.05x1121cCynthia Porter-Gehrie Models of adulthood: An ethnographic study of an adolescent peer group, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 8, no.33 (Sep 1979): 253–267.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02272793Martin Burlingame 6: Impact of Policy Decisions on Schools, Review of Research in Education 5, no.11 (Jun 2016): 236–271.https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X005001236