Article summary with A 2x2 Achievement Goal Framework by Elliot & McGregor - 2001

Introduction

Performance goals are the goals of competence-relevant behavior. Science has always focused primarily on two types of goals, namely learning goals (mastery goals) and striving goals (performance goals). People with a learning goal are primarily interested in developing their skills and knowledge. People with a striving goal are primarily interested in showing their skills and knowledge and want to be better than others. The different goals provide different perceptual-cognitive frameworks within the performance settings and lead to different processes and outcomes.

Competence

The most important construct within the theme of performance objectives is competence. Competence can be distinguished in two dimensions, namely in which way one assesses one's own abilities, and in which way the goal is valued.

Learning and striving dimension (definition)

The learning and striving dimension concerns the definition of the competence. Competence can be defined in three ways:

• An absolute standard. This concerns the requirements of the task itself; whether someone can perform the task.

• An intrapersonal standard. This concerns someone's own responsibility; whether someone has improved their performance or achieved their maximum ability.

• A normative standard. This concerns the relative performance; to what extent one performs better than another.

Because the absolute standard and the intrapersonal standard are so difficult to distinguish from each other (after all, performing a task is almost always combined with the task skills of being able to perform it), they are combined into one category. This category is therefore about defining competence in terms of personal progress and contains the learning objectives. The second category defines competence in terms of superiority to others, the normative standard, and contains the striving goals.

Approach and avoidance dimension (value)

Competence is assessed either in an approach way (a desired, positive outcome) or an avoidance way (an unwanted, negative outcome). Research shows that this assessment takes place unconsciously and immediately. This assessment process, which can already be seen in children and is grounded in the neuroanatomical structure, immediately leads to an approach or avoidance strategy.

Four goals

The approach and avoidance dimension was initially only applied to the learning objectives. But this distinction can also be applied to the striving goals. This results in not three, but four types of goals:

• With a learning-oriented approach people want to improve themselves.

• With a learning-oriented avoidance goal, people want to prevent their performance from deteriorating.

• With a striving goal-oriented approach approach, people want to show that they perform better than others.

• With a striving goal-oriented avoidance goal, people want to prevent them from being seen as incompetent.

In this study, most attention is focused on the learning avoidance goal. Learning-oriented avoidance goals emphasize the avoidance of incompetence. Examples are preventing the study material from being unable to learn, or not wanting to miss a basketball shot, or not being able to leave a crossword puzzle incomplete.

This investigation

Three tests are performed in this study. Firstly, it is examined whether learning-oriented avoidance goals can be operationalized reliably. Secondly, it is examined whether the four goals are empirically distinguishable and whether the four goals fit better with the data than the previous three goals. Thirdly, we look at how learning-oriented avoidance goals are related to the other goals. Fourth, the predictors of the goals are investigated. The two categories of variables that are considered in this regard are motivational dispositions and class perceptions. Motivational dispositions concern the needs for success, the fear of failure and self-determination. Class perceptions are about perceived class involvement. Fifth, the four goals are investigated as predictors of certain process and outcome variables. These tests are now discussed separately.

Important results

The most important results can be summarized as follows:

• The four goal constructs are empirically distinguishable and internally consistent.

• Learning-oriented avoidance goals were grounded in fear of failure, low self-determination and perceived involvement in the classroom, entity theory, negative feedback from parents and voiced concerns from parents and competence assessment. These goals were also positive predictors of unorganized study, test anxiety and emotionality.

• Entity theory was a positive predictor of learning-oriented avoidance goals, and incremental theory was a negative predictor. Entity theory is about the belief that people have that psychological attributes are fixed and congenital rather than gradual development, while incremental theory states that intelligence is a characteristic that training can develop.

• Parental, person-directed negative feedback from both the mother and the father was a predictor of the emergence of learning-oriented avoidance goals.

Discussion

The results from this study confirm the existence of the new construct (learning-oriented avoidance goals) and that the new quadruple model fits better with the data than the earlier triple model. Given the antecedents of learning-oriented avoidance goals, it can be stated that the theory of the authors is confirmed and that learn-oriented avoidance goals have a more negative set of antecedents than learn-oriented advancement goals, but a more positive set of antecedents than striving goal-oriented avoidance goals. It has also been confirmed that learning-oriented avoidance goals have more negative consequences than learning-oriented approach goals, but more positive effects than striving goal-oriented avoidance goals.