Describing the Development of Achievement Motivation: A Concatenation of
                        Beliefs, Values, and Goals

Noel Entwistle

doi:10.1037/004239

Describing the Development of Achievement Motivation: A Concatenation of Beliefs, Values, and Goals

Contemporary Psychology ◽

10.1037/004239 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 41-43

Author(s):

Noel Entwistle

Keyword(s):

Achievement Motivation

Download Full-text

A Latent State-Trait Analysis of Current Achievement Motivation Across Different Tasks of Cognitive Ability

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000289 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 318-327

Author(s):

Philipp Alexander Freund ◽

Vanessa Katharina Jaensch ◽

Franzis Preckel

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Ability ◽

Task Performance ◽

Achievement Motivation ◽

Fear Of Failure ◽

Specific Task ◽

Test Taker ◽

Specific Interest ◽

Probability Of Success ◽

Ability Tests ◽

Perceived Challenge

Abstract. The current study investigates the behavior of task-specific, current achievement motivation (CAM: interest in the task, probability of success, perceived challenge, and fear of failure) across a variety of reasoning tasks featuring verbal, numerical, and figural content. CAM is conceptualized as a state-like variable, and in order to assess the relative stability of the four CAM variables across different tasks, latent state trait analyses are conducted. The major findings indicate that the degree of challenge a test taker experiences and the fear of failing a given task appear to be relatively stable regardless of the specific task utilized, whereas interest and probability of success are more directly influenced by task-specific characteristics and demands. Furthermore, task performance is related to task-specific interest and probability of success. We discuss the implications and benefits of these results with regard to the use of cognitive ability tests in general. Importantly, taking motivational differences between test takers into account appears to offer valuable information which helps to explain differences in task performance.

Download Full-text