Achievement Goals: a Situational-contextual Analysis

Recent studies have indicated that the generalizability of traditional theory of achievement motivation across cultures is considerably limited. Empirical evidence from various cultures points out that there are cross-cultural differences in the meaning of achievement that play a crucial role in determining the achievement efforts of the people in respective cultures. The present study is a step towards delineating more fully the role of meaning in directing achievement behavior across different groups within the Indian cultural context. It investigated the effects of perceived sense of self and perceived expectations of on the preferences for achievement goals in individualistic, familial, and societal spheres among male and female adolescents and young adults. The results indicated that the expectations held by the significant others (e.g., parents, teachers, peers) and age level were the most powerful determinants of the perceived importance of achievement goals. In addition, gender, age, and sense of self evinced joint influences on the preferences for certain achievement goals. The findings are discussed in the light of a situational-contextual model of achievement motivation, and implications for understanding and managing motivation in multicultural perspective are indicated. In recent years, increasingly greater attention has been paid to empirically study the determinants and consequences of achievement-related cognitions (Cooper, 1983; Misra, 1985; Nicholls, 1984; Weiner, 1986). The theoretical explanations of achievement expressed through these congitions strivings range between personality-based individualistic exGirishwar Misra is currently an Indo-U.S. Fulbright Fellow, School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Reprint requests should be sent to Rekha Singhal, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Nehru Nagar, P. B. 357, Bhopal-462003, India.