Performance attainment and intrinsic motivation : an achievement goal approach

Dit proefschrift richt zich op prestatiedoelen. Prestatiedoelen zijn mentale representaties van de gewenste bekwaamheid op de korte of lange termijn in prestatie-relevante situaties. In dit proefschrift hebben we ten eerste door middel van drie meta-analyses systematisch de relaties onderzocht tussen prestatiedoelen enerzijds, en taakprestaties en intrinsieke motivatie anderzijds. Ten tweede, in twee experimenten, hebben wij relevante, maar grotendeels onderbelichte onderwerpen in de prestatiemotivatie literatuur (i.e., de combinatie van prestatiedoelen en target doelen, en de rol van prestatiedoelen als moderatoren) onderzocht. Uit de resultaten van de drie meta-analyses blijkt dat prestatiedoelen over het algemeen zijn gecorreleerd met taakprestaties en intrinsieke motivatie. Daarbij is het belangrijk om rekening te houden met de aanwezigheid van specifieke moderatoren (i.e., prestatiedomein, type schaal, het verwachten van feedback, tijdsdruk). Uit de resultaten van de twee experimenten blijkt dat prestatiedoelen kunnen worden gecombineerd met specifieke target doelen. Afhankelijk van mens prestatieverwachtingen kunnen deze target prestatiedoelen taakprestatie beïnvloeden. Ook kunnen bepaalde target prestatiedoelen het positieve verband tussen interesse en prestatie ondermijnen. This dissertation focuses on achievement goals, one specific type of personal goals pursued in achievement situations. Achievement goals, the mental representations of the individual’s desired levels of competence in the short-term or in the long-term can energize, direct, and organize one’s behavior, and can predict one’s performance and levels of intrinsic motivation. The aim of this dissertation was twofold. Firstly, in three meta-analyses, the relationships between achievement goals and performance attainment and achievement goals and intrinsic motivation were systematically explored. Secondly, in two experiments, some relevant, yet largely neglected issues in achievement goal research (i.e., target goals and the moderating potential of achievement goals) were addressed. Results across the meta-analyses suggest that the direct relations between personally adopted achievement goals and performance attainment and between personally adopted achievement goals and intrinsic motivation were moderated by achievement domain (education, work, and sports), achievement goal measures (i.e., the scales used to measure achievement goals), and specific socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., nationality). Also, the effects of assigned achievement goals on performance were moderated by specific study characteristics (feedback anticipation and time pressure). Results in the two experiments indicate that combining achievement goals with targets of different levels of difficulty may differently predict performance attainment as a function of the individual’s level of performance expectancy. Furthermore, particular “target” achievement goals disrupted the positive relations between initial task interest and performance.