Implicit and Self-Attributed Achievement Goals: Relationships with Effort and Persistence

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the existence of implicit, or non-conscious, achievement goals and their relationships with self-attributed achievement goals and two aspects of task performance: effort and persistence. One hundred twenty undergraduate and graduate students ranging in age from 18 to 59 participated in the study. The sample was 79 percent female and 81 percent White. Implicit achievement goal data were collected via the Picture Story Exercise followed by a self-attributed achievement goal measure, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire. Participants completed the d2 Test of Attention, receiving false feedback at regular intervals. The design was a randomized 2x2 factorial with all participants receiving self-referenced feedback (ascending or descending) and all participants receiving norm-referenced feedback (ascending or descending). Effort was improvement in response time and persistence was decision to quit or continue when given the explicit choice. Multiple regression analyses were conducted predicting effort. Implicit mastery approach goals threatened task effort when participants received mixed feedback. When feedback was entirely descending, task effort improved with an increase in implicit performance approach. Self-attributed achievement goals were entirely unrelated to task effort. Binomial logistic regression analyses were conducted predicting persistence. Participants in the ascending self-referenced condition were less likely to quit with higher self-attributed mastery approach scores. Those in the descending self-referenced condition were more likely to quit with higher self-attributed mastery approach scores. Participants in the descending norm-referenced condition were less likely to quit with higher self-attributed performance approach scores and were more likely to quit with higher self-attributed performance avoidance scores. Implicit achievement goals were entirely unrelated to task discontinuation. These findings reveal that implicit achievement goals are distinct from self-attributed achievement goals, with both types of goals bearing different influence on two distinct aspects of task performance: effort and discontinuation. The addition of the implicit achievement goal construct to achievement goal models fortifies the model and further reveals the multifaceted nature of motivation.