After reading chapter 7 of our
textbook, I came across this article on avoidance achievement motivation that I
found to be not only interesting, but beneficial in explaining the difference
between approach achievement and avoidance achievement. Elliot and Church
purpose a hierarchical model to further study avoidance achievement motivation,
and the current study was a basis for them to directly test the validity and
generalizability of it. Instead of focusing primarily on a classical approach
or a contemporary approach to achievement, researchers integrate both into one
model where the conventional performance goal is divided into a independent
approach and avoidance components and three achievement orientations.
Specifically, competence expectancies on achievement are believed to influence
achievement behavior indirectly due to their effect on goal adoption.
The authors hypothesize that
those individuals who believed they could be competent in an achievement
situation would sway towards success and take on approach achievement goals
such as performance-approach and mastery, while those low in expectancies would
sway towards the likelihood of failure and assume a performance-avoidance goal.
In addition, motive dispositions and competence expectancies are posited to
influence intrinsic motivation and graded performance circuitously by way of
achievement goals effects. When achievement goal effects are controlled, these
variables are predicted to have no effect. Operationally, motive dispositions
account for the temperament of the individual and their tendency towards one of
the three examined competence expectancy goals in achievement situations
(mastery, performance-avoidance, or performance-approach).
The methodology utilized in this
quasi-experiment included 204 undergraduate students with a mean age of 20.01
years. The course was set up in a standard lecture format and multiple-choice tests
evaluated each student's progress in the course. Over the course of the
semester, a series of sessions took place before class began in the
instructor's absence as responses would remain confidential and would not
impact their grade for the course. In these assessments, students' achievement
motivation, fear of failure, competence expectancies, achievement goals,
competence perceptions and intrinsic motivation were measured. Motive
disposition and competence expectancy were measured during the first week of
the semester while achievement motivation and fear of failure were assessed in
the first class session. Competence expectancies were considered in the next
session, and achievement goals were assessed during the second week of the
course's meeting. Competence perceptions were measured before and after the
midterm examination. Intrinsic motivation was measured at the conclusion of the
semester.
The main findings of this study
provide strong evidence for the purposed hierarchical model of approach and
avoidance achievement motivation. Mastery goals were found to be based in
achievement motivation and high competence expectancies which, in turn,
facilitated intrinsic motivation. Performance-avoidance goals derived from a
fear of failure, low competence expectancies, and were found to be detrimental
to intrinsic motivation and graded performance. Performance-approach goals
rooted themselves in achievement motivation, fear of failure and high
competence expectancies while enhancing grade performance overall. By
integrating central elements of prominent approaches, researchers anticipate a
more penetrating and comprehensive explanation of competence relevant affect,
cognition, and behavior in the future.
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