What Personal Strivings Tells Us about achievement Goals and intrinsic Motivation?

Abstract

By integrating personal strivings, achievement goals, and motivation, this study investigated why individuals are adopting certain type of achievement goals and whether they are likely to experience intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Participants were 118 college students at a large University and they completed a packet of questionnaires independently in a lab during 25minutes. Data analyses revealed that (1) individuals with growth-seeking(GS) personal strivings adopted mastery- approach goals to master tasks and develop oneself, (2) individuals with validation-seeking(VS) personal strivings adopted mastery-avoidance goals to avoid evaluations of incompetence, (3) individuals with VS personal strivings adopted performance-approach goals to prove personal worth by showing high competence, and (4) individuals with VS personal strivings adopt performance-avoidance goals to protect personal worth by avoiding performing poorly. In addition, when it was further integrated personal strivings and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, this study also showed that that (1) individuals with GS personal strivings tended toward greater intrinsic motivation to master tasks and develop oneself, and (2) individuals with VS personal strivings tended toward greater extrinsic motivation to pursue desirable consequences such as praise or approval. These findings suggest a potentially robust relation between personality and student’s motivation in achievement settings.