(mastery goal) can be motivated either by a desire to achieve a sense of mas-
tery (approach) or by a wish to not feel incompetent (avoidance). Similarly,
students who rely on performance goals might be motivated to gain recogni-tion for their accomplishments or to avoid the embarrassment of a poor
performance.
Because achievement motivation has important implications in education,
business, and many other areas of our lives, psychologists have asked whether
some achievement goals are more effective than others. Is it better for stu-
dents to focus on learning the material or obtaining a good grade? Can tea-chers alter assignments and grading policies or should business managers
change the way they evaluate and reward employees to improve learning and
productivity? Although both mastery and performance goals motivate peopleto achieve, investigators often find differences between people who seek com-
petence and those who focus on recognition.
Most of the research on this question has compared the effects of mastery
and performance goals. Investigators consistently find that mastery goals lead
to high achievement (Dompnier, Darnon, & Butera, 2009; Kaplan & Maehr,
2007; Payne, Youngcourt, & Beaubien, 2007). Students motivated by mas-
tery goals often choose more challenging tasks and are more interested in
their classes than students who rely on performance goals. When given the
choice between two assignments, mastery-oriented students are likely to select
the one they are more curious about, whereas students relying on perfor-
mance goals ask which will lead to a better grade. A student interested in
learning the material is unlikely to ask, “Will this be on the test? ”
People motivated by mastery goals are likely to retain the information
and skills they learn longer than those driven by performance goals. A pianostudent whose goal is to master a difficult concerto is likely to remember the
piece longer than the student who simply wants to sound good at the recital.
Similarly, people motivated by mastery goals often continue their interest inMastery-
Approach GoalPerformance-
Approach Goal
Mastery-
Avoidance GoalPerformance-
Avoidance GoalAbsolute/
Intrapersonal
(Mastery)
Positive
(Approaching
Success)
Negative
(Avoiding
Failure)Normative
(Performance)Definition
Valence
FIGURE 8.1 Achievement Goal Framework
Source: From Elliot and McGregor (2001).192 CHAPTER 8 The Trait Approach