Extending goal theory: Examining social goals and multiple goal profiles.

In this dissertation I attempt to extend research on motivation within a goal theory framework in three ways. First, I demonstrate the need to consider the interface of social relationships and goals in goal theory research. Second, I make distinctions between three goals that have often been confounded (extrinsic, relative ability, and adult approval goals). Third, I examine the effects of pursuing multiple goals simultaneously. The results of my investigation are presented in three separate but conceptually related papers. In the first paper I review literature on goal theory and social relationships to demonstrate the importance of considering social goals in goal theory research. This review includes suggestions for ways in which social goals may be conceptualized and examined. The second paper reports the results of an empirical study designed to examine the effects of pursuing multiple goals (task, extrinsic, relative ability, and adult approval) simultaneously. I used cluster analysis to produce groups of students with different multiple goals profiles. Results indicate that students high in their pursuit of task goals have the most adaptive pattern of self-reported outcomes (e.g., strategy use, self-efficacy, valuing of school) regardless of their level of pursuit of other goals. For teacher-report and achievement measures, differences between clusters emerged according to students' level of pursuit of extrinsic goals. High pursuit of these goals is associated with lower achievement and teacher expectancies. Comparisons of elementary and middle school samples are discussed. The third paper reports the results of two studies designed to determine the links between eighth graders' social relationships, motivation, and achievement. In the first study results indicate that students' achievement goals, self-perceptions, and perceptions of the school are related to their efforts to seek approval from adults and their tendencies to associate with friends who are positively or negatively oriented toward school. In study two, interview data reveals that they do not feel that school-related issues played a major role in their friendships. In addition, students feel that when they are influenced by their friends, it is in a positive way.PhDEducationEducational psychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/129392/2/9501054.pd