Although sex differences in achievement-related behaviors have been well documented, recent attempts to account for these differences have focused on either goal orientation or standards. To compare varying explanations for sex differences in achievement and to examine the standards men and women use to define success, two studies were conducted. In the first study, 123 college students (57 females, 66 males) completed two questionnaires assessing self-reported accomplishments, sex roles, and achievement motivation. An analysis of the results showed that masculinity was related to extrinsic performance evaluations and femininity was related to social-affiliative achievement attempts. In the second study, 50 college students (30 females, 20 males) responded to open-ended questions assessing accomplishments, achievement orientations, and performance evaluation standards. An analysis of the results showed that, as in the first study, extrinsic standards were used more by males than by females, and that females and males did not differ in the domains of accomplishments they considered to be important. Researchers are encouraged to examine the self-selected accomplishments of women and men to determine the effects of performance evaluation styles and striving for status on achievement behavior. (BL)