Performance attainment and intrinsic motivation: An achievement goal approach

PhD ceremony: Ms. M. Blaga, 12.45 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Performance attainment and intrinsic motivation: An achievement goal approach

Promotor(s): prof. N. van Yperen

Faculty: Behavioural and Social Sciences

This dissertation focuses on achievement goals, one specific type of personal goals pursued in achievement situations. Achievement goals, the mental representations of the individual’s desired levels of competence in the short-term or in the long-term can energize, direct, and organize one’s behavior, and can predict one’s performance and levels of intrinsic motivation. Firstly, in three meta-analyses, the relationships between achievement goals and performance attainment and achievement goals and intrinsic motivation were systematically explored. Secondly, in two experiments, some relevant, yet largely neglected issues in achievement goal research (i.e., target goals and the moderating potential of achievement goals) were addressed. Results across the meta-analyses suggest that the direct relations between personally adopted achievement goals and performance attainment and between personally adopted achievement goals and intrinsic motivation were moderated by achievement domain (education, work, and sports), achievement goal measures (i.e., the scales used to measure achievement goals), and specific socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., nationality). Also, the effects of assigned achievement goals on performance were moderated by specific study characteristics (feedback anticipation and time pressure). Results in the two experiments indicate that combining achievement goals with targets of different levels of difficulty may differently predict performance attainment as a function of the individual’s level of performance expectancy. Furthermore, particular “target” achievement goals disrupted the positive relations between initial task interest and performance.