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Potential-based achievement goals.

Andrew Elliot1,2, Kou Murayama3, Ahmed Kobeisy2

  • 1University of Rochester, New York, USA.

The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|July 1, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces potential-based achievement goals, focusing on future potential rather than past performance. Findings validate these distinct goals, highlighting their importance for understanding growth-based motivation.

Keywords:
Achievement goalgrowthpastpotentialself-basedstandard

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Motivation

Background:

  • Self-based achievement goals use personal progress as a benchmark.
  • These goals can be based on past achievements or future potential.
  • Potential-based goals have received limited research attention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the oversight of potential-based achievement goals.
  • To integrate potential-based goals into the 3 × 2 achievement goal framework.
  • To develop and validate scales for potential-approach and potential-avoidance goals.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies were conducted with US undergraduates (N=381 and N=310).
  • Study 1 involved scale development and factorial validity testing (EFA, CFA).
  • Study 2 used CFA to examine goal separability and integration within self-based goals.

Main Results:

  • Scales for potential-approach and potential-avoidance goals demonstrated factorial validity.
  • Past-based and potential-based goals were found to be separable.
  • These distinct goals were shown to integrate within the broader self-based achievement goal category.

Conclusions:

  • The research validates the distinction between past-based and potential-based achievement goals.
  • Findings support the utility of potential-approach and potential-avoidance goal constructs.
  • This work emphasizes the need to study diverse growth-based goals in achievement motivation research.