3.5 motives ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION

ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION

Need for achievement

• desire to perform well relative to a standard of excellence

achievement motivates

• individuals to pursue success in competition with this standard.

people scoring high in achievement motivation exhibit

1. They choose moderately difficult tasks.

2. They demonstrate higher performance in tasks that require high levels of intrinsic motivation.

3. They perform better in challenging tasks.

4. They are interested in receiving feedback after their performance.

5. They take responsibility for their actions.

6. They take calculated risks.

7. They introduce innovations to tasks.

8. They seek success in their professional careers.

Atkinson achievement depends on 

• Probability of success

• The incentive for succeeding at it.

• Individual’s dispositional need. 

Atkinson tendency to approach success,

Ts (proud, hope & social respects)

 Ts = Atkinson model formula 

Ts = Ms × Ps × Is

Ms

• Motive to succeed

• strength of a person’s need for achievement

Ps

• from 0 to 1 

• perceived probability of success 

Is

 incentive value of success

 tendency to avoid failure 

• defend against →

• loss of self-esteem,

• loss of social respect

• fear of embarrassment

Tendency to avoid failure = Taf formula

• Taf = Maf × Pf × If

Maf

• motive to avoid failure

Pf

• Probability of failure

• 1 − Ps

If

• Negative incentive value for failure

• 1 − Pf

Combined approach & avoidance tendencies

Ta = Ts − Taf 

• Combination between nature & nurture 

• Tendency to approach success minus the tendency to avoid failure.

• Balance between the allure of pride & aversion to shame

Conditions that involve the need for achievement

• moderately difficult tasks

• competition

• entrepreneurship

moderately difficult tasks

• Higher achievers do best when a task is moderately hard, not too easy and not to hard.

competition

• High need achievers seek for:

• diagnostic information

• look for opportunities to test their skills

• value competence

• attracted to self-evaluation opportunities

• enjoy demonstrating their abilities

• Competition provides all of these attributes.

study conducted by McClelland

• entrepreneurship

entrepreneurship McClelland

• most high-need achievers in college → equires taking moderate risks & assuming responsibility for one’s successes & failures.

Achievement goals Atkinson

achievement behavior is a choice →

• we either approach the standard or avoid it.

Two types of achievement behavior

• mastery goals

• performance goals

mastery goals

• focus on the task

• Develop ones competence

• Make progress

• Improve the self

• Overcome difficulties with effort & persistence

performance goals

• Focus on the self

• Prove ones competence 

• Display high ability

• Outperform others

• Succeed with Little apparent effort.

When individuals opt for mastery goals rather than performance goals, they tend to:

• Prefer tasks that pose a challenge.

• Use conceptual learning strategies.

• Be intrinsically motivated.

• Ask for help more frequently.

Combination of Atkinson & achievement goals

• integrative model →

• behaviour & goal coexist

• integrative model

• domain goals

• performance-approach goals

• performance-avoidance goals