[Do mastery goals buffer self-esteem from the threat of failure?]

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Context:

• Self-esteem is vulnerable to failure, particularly when individuals base their self-worth on specific domains.
• Contingent self-worth makes individuals susceptible to negative self-perceptions following setbacks.

Purpose:

• To investigate if learning orientations, specifically mastery goals, can mitigate self-esteem vulnerability following failure.
• To examine the impact of mastery goals on persistence after experiencing academic failure.
• To extend previous research on incremental theories of intelligence to the role of mastery goals.

Summary:

• College students with high mastery goals maintained stable self-esteem regardless of success or failure, unlike those with low mastery goals.
• High mastery goal orientation buffered the negative impact of academic failure on self-esteem.
• Students with high mastery goals demonstrated increased persistence following failure compared to their low mastery counterparts.

Impact:

• Learning orientations provide a protective mechanism for self-esteem against domain-specific failures.
• Fostering mastery goals can enhance resilience and persistence in academic settings.
• Findings support the role of learning orientations in maintaining psychological well-being amidst challenges.