The Effects of Chronic Achievement Motivation and Achievement Primes on the Activation of Achievement and Fun Goals

William Hart, Dolores Albarracín

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1129-1141
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of personality and social psychology
Volume97
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2009

Keywords

  • achievement goals
  • achievement motivation
  • behavior
  • fun
  • self-regulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science

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