ERIC Number: ED329851
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1990-Aug
Pages: 22
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of Need for Achievement Components on Goal Commitment.
Johnson, Debra Steele; Perlow, Richard
A large body of literature examines the effects of goal setting on performance. However, relative to the amount of research examining the goal setting-performance relationship, there has been little investigation of dispositional influences on goal commitment. Understanding why people become committed to goals is important because commitment is a necessary component for goal setting intervention success. A laboratory study examined the effects of three components of need for achievement on goal commitment. It was predicted that need for mastery, need for work, and competitiveness are related to goal commitment. Fifty-two undergraduate students performed nine trials of a complex task and completed a need for achievement scale composed of four subscales. Results of regression analyses revealed that need for mastery influenced goal commitment. No effect was found for work or competitiveness on goal commitment. Similarly, an effect on performance was only obtained for need for mastery. High needs for mastery people are attraction to situations that are: (1) challenging; and (2) test their capabilities. Therefore, they are more likely to report higher levels of goal commitment because a properly set goal provides an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of a challenging situation. The results of this research show that it is useful to consider components of need for achievement. (LLL)
Descriptors: Achievement Need, Aspiration, College Students, Competition, Goal Orientation, Higher Education, Motivation, Status Need, Work Ethic
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (98th, Boston, MA, August 10-14, 1990).