Discusses three reasons to revise achievement goal theory: the importance of separating approach from avoidance strivings, the positive potential of performance-approach goals, and identification of the ways performance-approach goals can combine with mastery approach goals to promote optimal motivation. Reviews theory and research to substantiate…

This study was intended to evaluate whether a recently proposed 2 x 2 achievement goal model could be replicated, and it aimed to evaluate whether students were more advantaged by pursuing one type of goal or a combination of goals. The achievement goals and graded performance of 1,213 undergraduates were studied at 3 time points during a semester…

In our previous work documenting benefits of both mastery and performance-approach goals, we assessed achievement goals for a particular type of student (specifically, the college student) in a particular type of classroom environment (specifically, the large introductory lecture). The current study sought to extend our initial work by testing…

Researchers conducted a longitudinal study of achievement goals and ability measures to investigate the predictors of academic success over the course of 471 students' college careers. First, researchers examined which variables that were important in predicting students' interest and performance in an introductory psychology course taken in their…