Black Women's Achievement Orientation: Motivational and Cognitive Factors

The literature on motivational and cognitive factors related to the achievement orientation of black women is reviewed. Achievement motivation and fear of success are discussed, and the inconclusiveness of the findings for black women is noted. The limited data concerning black women's expectations for and causal attributions about achievement outcomes are also examined. Directions for future research are discussed with emphasis on the necessity of considering sex role concerns as mediators of black women's achievement behavior.