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Quantitative Research: Experimental Research

Using the experimental or quasi-experimental study you selected in this unit’s studies, in the Library Search section, complete the following:

• Determine whether the study is experimental or quasi-experimental; describe how you know.
• Describe the variables, both independent and dependent, used in the research.
• Describe the treatment conditions of the experimental group. If quasi-experimental, describe the different groups or conditions that were compared.
• Describe the specific type of research design that was used and discuss why it is considered experimental or quasi-experimental.
• Evaluate the scientific merit of the selected design. How might you have designed this study differently? Evaluate how well the experimental approach and design helped the researcher answer the research questions.
• List the persistent link for the article in your response. Refer to the Persistent Links and DOIs guide, linked in Resources, to learn how to locate this information in the library databases.
• Cite all sources in APA style and provide an APA-formatted reference list at the end of your post. please add on the persistent link with the ref=http://library.capella.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=21461438&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Achievement Goals, Performance Contingencies, and Performance
Attainment: An Experimental Test

Andrew J. Elliot
University of Rochester

Mandy M. Shell
Valparaiso University

Kelly Bouas Henry
Missouri Western State College

Markus A. Maier
University of Munich

This research examines the effect of achievement goals on performance attainment and the moderating
role of performance contingencies. Results from 3 experiments strongly support the authors’ hypotheses.
Performance-avoidance goals undermined performance relative to performance-approach and mastery
goals, regardless of contingency condition. Performance-approach goals had a more positive effect on
performance than did mastery goals in the presence, but not in the absence, of a contingency. Further-
more, the presence of a contingency accentuated the effects of performance-based goals on performance
and had little impact on the effect of mastery goals on performance. These results speak directly to a
current conundrum in the achievement goal literature and highlight the need for a rigorous, systematic
examination of the link between achievement goals and performance that takes into consideration
features of the achievement task, context, and situation.

Keywords: achievement, goals, performance, contingencies, motivation

The achievement motivation literature focuses on the prediction
and explanation of competence-relevant behavior. This literature
has enjoyed a long and robust history due to the centrality of
competence-relevant processes for human functioning and well-
being and the broad applicability of these processes to such do-
mains as school, sports, and work. One of the primary questions
addressed by the achievement motivation literature is how
achievement motivation influences performance attainment.

At present, the most prominent account of the link between
achievement motivation and performance is that proffered by the
achievement goal approach. Achievement goals are conceptualized
as the competence-relevant purposes or aims that individuals strive
for in achievement settings, and these different purposes or aims
are posited to lead to differential performance outcomes (for

related but distinct conceptualizations of the achievement goal
construct see Dweck, 1986; Elliot, 1997; Nicholls, 1984). Al-
though early reviews of the achievement goal literature portrayed
the links between achievement goals and performance as clear and
straightforward, recent work has highlighted the need for a reanal-
ysis of this portrait (see Elliot, 2005; Harackiewicz, Barron, Pin-
trich, Elliot, & Thrash, 2002).

In this article, we overview the extant research on achievement
goals and performance attainment, and we present research that
puts this relationship to experimental test. In addition, we draw on
theoretical work by Raynor (Raynor, 1969, 1970) to examine the
concept of instrumentality or “contingent future” (Raynor & Ru-
bin, 1971, p. 37) within the achievement goal approach. Accord-
ingly, the research that we present not only focuses on the direct
relationship between achievement goals and performance but also
on a “second generation question” (Molden & Dweck, 2000;
Zanna & Fazio, 1982): How do instrumentalities or performance
contingencies influence the relationship between achievement
goals and performance?

Achievement Goals and Performance Attainment

Initial theoretical and empirical work on achievement goals used
a dichotomous framework grounded in the mastery–performance
distinction (Dweck, 1986; Nicholls, 1984): mastery goals focused
on the development of competence and performance goals focused
on the demonstration of competence. More recent theoretical and
empirical work has used a trichotomous framework grounded in
both the mastery–performance distinction and the distinction be-
tween approach motivation (striving toward a positive possibility)
and avoidance motivation (striving away from a negative possi-

Andrew J. Elliot, Department of Clinical and Social Science in Psychol-
ogy, University of Rochester; Mandy M. Shell, School of Law, Valparaiso
University; Kelly Bouas Henry, Department of Psychology, Missouri
Western State College; Markus A. Maier, Department of Psychology,
University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

This research was supported by a grant from the William T. Grant
Foundation and a Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Alexander von
Humboldt Foundation to Andrew J. Elliot. A portion of the research
reported in this article is based in part on an undergraduate honor’s thesis
submitted by Mandy M. Shell under the guidance of Kelly Bouas Henry to
the Department of Psychology at Missouri Western State College. We
thank Phillip D. Wann and Sally Radmacher for their helpful comments in
the development of the study.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Andrew
J. Elliot, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology,
Meliora Hall, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627. E-mail:
andye@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu

Journal of Educational Psychology Copyright 2005 by the American Psychological Association
2005, Vol. 97, No. 4,

630

– 640 0022-0663/05/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.97.4.630

630

bility; Elliot & Church, 1997).1 The trichotomous framework is
comprised of the following achievement goals: mastery (an ap-
proach goal focused on attaining task-based or intrapersonal com-
petence), performance approach (an approach goal focused on
attaining normative competence), and performance avoidance (an
avoidance goal focused on avoiding normative incompetence). The
present research used the trichotomous framework, thus we limit
our review of the literature to this model.

In the trichotomous framework (see Elliot, 1997; Elliot &
Harackiewicz, 1996), mastery goals are characterized as a
challenge-based form of regulation that evokes a host of positive
processes (effort expenditure, persistence, task absorption) that
facilitate many positive outcomes. However, these goals are not
viewed as consistent facilitators of performance attainment. Per-
formance excellence often requires attention to external evaluative
considerations that are beyond the task/intrapersonal focus of
mastery goal regulation, and performance assessments are often
ill-matched to the type of processes facilitated by mastery goals.
Performance-approach goals are viewed as evoking many of the
same positive processes evoked by mastery goals (e.g., effort
expenditure, persistence), as both goals represent approach forms
of regulation fueled by challenge appraisals. However, the use of
others as performance referents in these goals fosters a more
external focus on the evaluative environment and on what is
needed for optimal performance attainment. This external focus is
not optimal for some processes and outcomes (e.g., deep process-
ing, intrinsic interest), but it is presumed to enable these goals to
facilitate performance in a broader range of situations and on a
broader range of tasks than mastery goals. Performance-avoidance
goals entail regulating according to a negative normative possibil-
ity that is posited to evoke a host of negative processes (distraction,
anxiety, self-protective divestment) that undermine performance in
most achievement settings.

Empirical work on achievement goals may be separated into two
types—studies that measure existing achievement goals and ex-
periments that manipulate achievement goals. Both of these types
of research are important in examining the relationship between
achievement goals and performance attainment. Measurement-
based studies yield information regarding achievement goals in
naturally occurring settings and allow achievement goals to be
examined across time and context, whereas manipulation-based
studies afford an examination of the causal influence of achieve-
ment goals and provide information regarding the amenability of
achievements goals to environmental influence (an issue integral
to the viability of goal interventions).

In terms of observed empirical patterns, measurement-based
studies that have used the trichotomous framework have yielded
somewhat inconsistent results for mastery goals and performance
attainment, with some indicating a positive relationship (see Side-
ridis, 2004; Tanaka & Yamauchi, 2001; Vansteenkiste, Simons,
Lens, Soenens, & Matos, 2004) but others producing null results
(see Brett & VandeWalle, 1999; Lee, Sheldon, & Turban, 2003;
Malka & Covington, 2005; Skaalvik, 1997). A rather clear pattern
has emerged for performance-based goals: performance-approach
goals are typically positive predictors of performance (see Church,
Elliot, & Gable, 1999; Lopez, 1999; Wolters, 2004; Urdan, 2004),
whereas performance-avoidance goals are typically negative pre-
dictors of performance (see Elliot, McGregor, & Gable, 1999;
Halvari & Kjormo, 1999; Pajares & Valiante, 2001; Zusho, Pin-

trich, & Cortina, 2005). Manipulation-based research that uses the
trichotomous framework has barely begun. Only two experiments
have been conducted, and the performance results were ambiguous
in both instances (Barker, McInerney, & Dowson, 2002; Van
Yperen, 2003). This ambiguity may be due to the fact that perfor-
mance-avoidance goal participants in both experiments were in-
structed to focus on getting answers correct (as opposed to not
getting answers wrong; this instruction was part of the general
procedure in the Van Yperen experiment, but was actually part of
the performance-avoidance goal manipulation in the Barker et al.
experiment). This instruction is likely to dilute the impact of a
performance-avoidance goal manipulation.

In the present research, we sought to address this conspicuous
gap in the achievement goal literature by experimentally manipu-
lating the goals of the trichotomous model and examining their
effect on performance attainment. Our predictions were based on
the aforementioned theorizing: Performance-avoidance goals were
expected to undermine performance relative to mastery and per-
formance-approach goals, and performance-approach goals were
expected to be as positive for performance as mastery goals, or, in
some instances, even more positive for performance than mastery
goals.

Achievement Goals and Performance Contingencies

In a series of important articles, Raynor (1969, 1970) high-
lighted the need to consider the concept of instrumentality or
“contingent future” (Raynor & Rubin, 1971, p. 37) when examin-
ing how achievement motivation predicts outcomes such as per-
formance. Raynor noted that achievement motivation research
focused exclusively on situations in which only immediate success
or failure was at stake. He argued that in most achievement
activities in real life, immediate success or failure has instrumental
implications for future strivings and outcomes, and that models of
achievement motivation must take this into account.

Raynor’s critique was directed at the predominant approach to
achievement motivation at the time, the achievement motive ap-
proach (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, & Lowell, 1953). The mo-
tive disposition construct was the central construct in this ap-
proach, and two achievement motives were posited: the need for
achievement (a tendency to approach success because one antici-
pates pride upon success) and the fear of failure (a tendency to
avoid failure because one anticipates shame upon failure; Atkin-
son, 1957). The need for achievement was portrayed as an ap-
proach form of motivation typically leading to positive achieve-
ment outcomes, and fear of failure was portrayed as an avoidance
form of motivation typically leading to negative achievement
outcomes (McClelland et al., 1953; Birney, Burdick, & Teevan,
1969). Raynor (1969, 1970) posited that performance contingen-
cies should accentuate these empirical patterns, because they
should add to both the appetitive desire to attain success and the
aversive desire to avoid failure. Specifically, he contended that
individuals high in need for achievement should be more strongly

1 Even more recently, a fourth goal, mastery-avoidance, has also been
posited. This goal was not included in the present research because it was
presumed to be less relevant to the central processes under consideration
(especially instrumentalities; see Elliot & McGregor, 2001, for information
on mastery-avoidance goals and when they most likely to be operative).

631ACHIEVEMENT GOALS

motivated to approach success when future, as well as immediate,
success is at stake, which should lead to better performance;
whereas individuals high in fear of failure should be more strongly
motivated to avoid failure when future, as well as immediate,
failure is at stake, which should lead to worse performance.

Raynor put his hypotheses to test in an experiment devised to be
a laboratory analog of real-world instrumental achievement situa-
tions (Raynor & Rubin, 1971). Participants were informed that
they would be completing an arithmetic activity. Those in the
contingency condition were told that they must do well on a first
set of problems in order to move on to the next set, whereas those
in the noncontingency condition were told that they could do the
full set of problems regardless of their initial performance. Prior to
the experimental session, participants’ need for achievement and
fear of failure were assessed. Results conformed to predictions.
High need for achievement participants performed significantly
better in the contingency than in the noncontingency condition,
whereas high fear of failure participants performed significantly
worse in the contingency than in the noncontingency condition.

Although the achievement goal construct was proposed, in part,
as a reconceptualization of the achievement motive construct
(Dweck & Elliott, 1983; Maehr & Nicholls, 1980), and the
achievement goal approach emerged shortly after Raynor’s impor-
tant research, achievement goal researchers have paid little atten-
tion to the concept of instrumentality or performance contingency.
It is only in the last few years that the relationship between
achievement goals and instrumentality-based constructs has been
considered. A few researchers have written conceptual pieces
arguing for the need for and value of attending to the links between
achievement goals and constructs such as contingent future orien-
tation, perceived instrumentality, future time perspective, and util-
ity value (see Husman & Lens, 1999; Lens, Simmons, & Dewitte,
2001; Miller & Backman, 2004). The shared message articulated
by these researchers is that instrumentalities and performance
contingencies are not necessarily incompatible with the pursuit of
achievement goals and need not be considered detrimental to
performance. The few empirical studies that have been conducted
in this area have focused primarily on the influence of perceived
instrumentalities on achievement goal adoption (Greene, Miller,
Crowson, Duke, & Akey, 2004; Miller, DeBacker, & Greene,
1999; Miller, Greene, Montalvo, Ravindran, & Nichols, 1996;
Simons, Dewitte, & Lens, 2000; Vansteenkiste et al., 2004) and on
instrumentalities and achievement goals as simultaneous predic-
tors of performance (Malka & Covington, 2004; Miller et al.,
1996; Vansteenkiste et al., 2004). No research to date has exam-
ined whether any form of instrumentality-based construct moder-
ates the link between achievement goals and performance.

In the present research, we conducted a conceptual replication of
Raynor and Rubin’s (1971) experiment, replacing the achievement
motive construct with the achievement goal construct. Specifi-
cally, we sought to examine whether performance contingencies in
a controlled laboratory setting would moderate the influence of the
trichotomous achievement goals on performance attainment. We
expected performance-based goals to be sensitive to the addition of
a performance contingency to the achievement context because
these types of goals are inherently focused on external evaluation
and are presumed to be responsive to the external constraints and
affordances of the achievement environment (Elliot & Thrash,
2001). We did not expect mastery goals to be sensitive to the

addition of a performance contingency because the task/intraper-
sonal focus inherent in these goals seems unlikely to foster atten-
tion to external constraints and affordances in the achievement
environment.

On this basis, two sets of predictions were proffered, the first
regarding the influence of achievement goals within contingency
condition and the second regarding the influence of contingency
within achievement goal condition. For the first set of predictions,
we anticipated that the negative focus of performance-avoidance
goals would undermine performance relative to perfor-
mance-approach and mastery goals, regardless of contingency
condition. However, we expected the predictive utility of perfor-
mance-approach relative to mastery goals to vary as a function of
contingency condition. If, as proposed, performance-approach
goals are responsive to the inclusion of a performance contin-
gency, but mastery goals are unaffected, it is likely that perfor-
mance-approach and mastery goals would have similar effects on
performance in the absence of a performance contingency, but that
performance-approach goals would have a more positive effect on
performance than mastery goals in the presence of a performance
contingency. For the second set of predictions, we anticipated (in
line with Raynor’s original hypothesis) that the inclusion of a
performance contingency would enhance the appetitive desire to
attain normative success for performance-approach goal partici-
pants and lead to better performance, whereas the inclusion of a
performance contingency would enhance the aversive desire to
avoid normative failure for performance-avoidance goal partici-
pants and lead to worse performance. The effect of mastery goals
was posited to be unaffected by the presence or absence of a
performance contingency.

Experiment 1

Experiment 1 examined the direct effect of achievement goals
on performance attainment in the absence of a performance con-
tingency. Two separate samples were acquired, yielding Experi-
ments 1A and 1B. These experiments are presented sequentially in
the following paragraphs.

Experiment 1A

Method

Participants. One hundred one (57 male and 44 female) high school
(public gymnasium) students in Germany voluntarily participated in the
experiment (no additional incentive was provided). The age of the partic-
ipants varied between 15 and 21 with a mean of 17.31.

Design. A one-way between-participants factorial design was used
with achievement goal (performance-approach vs. performance-avoidance
vs. mastery) as the independent variable and gender and grade point
average as covariates. Task performance served as the dependent measure.

Procedure. The experiment was conducted in group sessions (ranging
from 10 to 30 participants) as part of normal class time in student partic-
ipants’ actual classrooms. At the beginning of the session, the teacher of
the class introduced the experimenter and explained that the experimenter
would be conducting an important research study related to current class
lessons. The experimenter then randomly distributed packets that contained
the task instructions, the manipulation, the task, and a final questionnaire.
Finally, the experimenter guided participants through the packet, beginning
with a description of the experimental task.

632 ELLIOT, SHELL, BOUAS HENRY, AND MAIER

The experimental task was the math subtest of the Intelligence Structure
Test (IST) 2000, a German intelligence test (Amthauer, Brocke, Liepmann,
& Beauducel, 1999). Participants were instructed that the task was part of
an intelligence test and involved the completion of ordered number se-
quences. For each item, a list of numbers was provided to participants, and
they had to identify the rule underlying the list and write down the number
that completed the sequence. Participants were told that they would have 5
min to solve 10 items. Subtests of the IST 2000 have been used success-
fully in prior experimental research (Försterling & Morgenstern, 2002).

Next, participants were told that the next page of their packet contained
information regarding the purpose of the study. They were instructed to
turn to this page and to read (and then reread) the material on the page,
which contained the achievement goal manipulation.

The achievement goal manipulation was based on that used by Elliot and
Harackiewicz (1996). Participants in the two performance goal conditions
were informed, “The purpose of this study is to compare high school
students with one another in their ability to solve these problems.” In the
performance-approach goal condition they were then told that previous
work had indicated that most high school students are fairly comparable in
their ability to solve the problems but that some students stand out because
they do exceptionally well. Thus, the session would provide the opportu-
nity “to demonstrate that you are an exceptional problem solver.” In the
performance-avoidance goal condition they were then told that previous
work had indicated that most high school students are fairly comparable in
their ability to solve the problems, but that some students stand out because
they do so poorly. Thus, the session would provide the opportunity “to
demonstrate that you are not a poor problem solver.” Participants in the
mastery goal condition were informed, “The purpose of this study is to
collect data on high school students’ reactions to the problems.” They were
additionally told that the session would provide them with the opportunity
to “get to know these problems and learn how to solve them well.”

All participants were informed that they would receive personal feed-
back after they completed the task. In the performance-approach condition
they were told that they would be informed “whether you did well com-
pared with others,” in the performance-avoidance condition they were told
that they would be informed “whether you did poorly compared to others,”
and in the mastery goal condition they were told that they would be
informed “whether you learned how to solve the problems well.”

After participants read the manipulation, the experimenter started them
on the task. After completing the task, participants filled out a question-
naire containing a manipulation check and a few demographic items. For
the manipulation check, participants were asked “What was the goal that
you were given for this task?,” and they responded with one of the
following: “To demonstrate that I am an exceptionally good problem
solver,” “To demonstrate that I am not an extremely poor problem solver,”
or “To learn how to solve the problems.”

After the experiment had been completed, all participants were provided
with positive performance feedback, regardless of their actual perfor-
mance. All participants also received a thorough debriefing on the purposes
of the experiment.

Results and Discussion

Preliminary analyses. A chi-square test of independence was
calculated to determine whether participants’ achievement goal
reports corresponded to their achievement goal conditions. The
analysis yielded a significant effect, �2(1, N � 101) � 7.36, p �
.01, indicating that this was indeed the case.

Primary Analyses

In an initial omnibus analysis, a unifactorial (achievement goal:
performance-approach vs. performance-avoidance vs. mastery)
between-participants analysis of covariance (gender and grade

point average as covariates) was conducted on participants’ task
performance. To examine our specific hypotheses, planned com-
parisons (Fisher least significant difference [LSD] tests) followed
the omnibus analysis.

The omnibus analysis revealed a significant main effect for
achievement goal condition, F(2, 96) � 3.65, p � .05. Gender was
also significant, F(1, 96) � 6.26, p � .05, indicting that males
performed better than females. Planned comparisons indicated that
performance-avoidance goal participants (M � 5.82) performed
worse than did performance-approach goal participants (M �
7.12), t(67) � 2.01, p � .05, and mastery goal participants (M �
7.22), t(62) � 2.21, p � .05. There was no difference between
performance-approach and mastery goal participants. See Table 1
for a summary of these results.

Experiment 1B

Method

Participants. Thirty-six (15 male and 21 female) high school (public
gymnasium) students in Germany voluntarily participated in the experi-
ment (no additional incentive was provided). The age of the participants
varied between 16 and 20 with a mean of 16.97.

Design and procedure. The same design and procedure used in Ex-
periment 1A was used in this experiment. The main difference between the
two experiments was the type of experimental task used. In this experi-
ment, the task was the verbal subtest of the IST 2000. Participants were
instructed that the task was part of an intelligence test and involved the
placement of words into categories. For each item, a set of five words was
provided to participants, and they had to select the two words that shared
a common category. Participants were told that they would have 3.5 min to
solve 10 items.

Results and Discussion

Preliminary analysis. A chi-square test of independence was
calculated to determine whether participants’ achievement goal
reports corresponded to their achievement goal conditions. The
analysis yielded a significant effect, �2(1, N � 36) � 9.53, p �
.01, indicating that this was indeed the case.

Primary analyses. The analyses for this experiment were con-
ducted in the same way that they were conducted in Experiment
1A. The omnibus analysis revealed a significant main effect for
achievement goal condition, F(2, 31) � 4.24, p � .05. Planned
comparisons were then conducted to examine the differences be-
tween the achievement goal means. These analyses indicated that
performance-avoidance goal participants (M � 5.11) performed
worse than did performance-approach goal participants (M �

Table 1
Means and Standard Deviations for Math Performance as a
Function of Achievement Goal Condition

Achievement goal condition M SD

Performance-approach (n � 38) 7.12a 2.01
Performance-avoidance (n � 30) 5.82b 2.75
Mastery (n � 33) 7.22a 2.19

Note. Means with different subscripts are significantly different at p �
.05 by the Fisher least significant difference test. Means were adjusted for
gender and grade point average.

633ACHIEVEMENT GOALS

7.07), t(22) � 2.80, p � .05, and mastery goal participants (M �
7.31), t(22) � 2.17, p � .05. In the performance-approach versus
performance-avoidance goal comparison, gender was marginally
significant, t(22) � 2.01, p � .06, and grade point average was
significant, t(22) � 2.18, p � .05; these results indicate that males
tended to perform worse than females and that higher grades were
a positive predictor of performance. There was no difference
between performance-approach and mastery goal participants. See
Table 2 for a summary of these results.

In summary, the results for Experiments 1A and 1B are in
accord with our hypotheses. In the absence of a performance
contingency, performance-avoidance goals undermined perfor-
mance relative to performance-approach and mastery goals, and
performance-approach goals were as positive for performance as
mastery goals. These effects were observed across two different
types of experimental tasks—math and verbal subtests of an intel-
ligence test.

Experiment 2

Experiment 2 sought to replicate the effects of Experiments 1A
and 1B by using a third experimental task. Most important, Ex-
periment 2 was designed to examine the role of performance
contingency as a moderator of the effect of achievement goals on
performance attainment.

Method

Participants. Sixty-one (22 male and 39 female) U.S. college students
in an introductory level psychology class voluntarily participated in the
experiment for extra course credit. The age of the participants varied
between 18 and 45 with a mean of 20.30.

Design. A 3 � 2 between-participants factorial design was used with
achievement goal (performance-approach vs. performance-avoidance vs.
mastery) and contingency (contingent vs. noncontingent) as independent
variables and gender as a covariate (participants’ grade point average was
not obtained in this experiment). Task performance served as the dependent
measure.

Procedure. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the six
conditions prior to arriving at the laboratory and were run through the
experimental procedure one at a time. Upon arrival for the experiment,
participants completed a consent form that stated that the research involved
puzzle solving with word games. Participants were then provided with a
description of the experimental task.

The experimental task was a lexically based activity similar to the game
Scrabble. Participants were told that the task involved rolling a set of dice
containing letters and then building words from the available letters.
Different letters represented different point values, and the object was to

score as many points as possible with the letters available from each dice
roll. Participants were told that they would have 8 min to score as many
points as they could and that an unlimited number of rolls were allowed
during the performance period. This type of task has been used successfully
in prior experimental research (Folger, Rosenfield, & Hays, 1978).

Next, the experimenter read from a form that contained the achievement
goal manipulation, followed by the contingency manipulation. The
achievement goal manipulation was essentially the same as that used in
Experiments 1A and 1B. Participants in the two performance goal condi-
tions were informed that “The purpose of this study is to compare college
students with one another in their ability to solve these puzzles.” In the
performance-approach goal condition they were then told that previous
work had indicated that most college students are fairly comparable in their
ability to solve puzzles but that some students stand out because they do
exceptionally well. Thus, the session would provide the opportunity “to
demonstrate that you are an exceptional puzzle solver.” In the perfor-
mance-avoidance goal condition they were then told that previous work
had indicated that most college students are fairly comparable in their
ability to solve puzzles but that some students stand out because they do so
poorly. Thus, the session would provide the opportunity “to demonstrate
that you are not a poor puzzle solver.” Participants in the mastery goal
condition were informed that “The purpose of this study is to collect data
on college students’ reactions to this game.” They were then told that the
object of the session was “to learn how to play this game well.”

The contingency manipulation was based on that used by Raynor and
Rubin (1971; see also Entin & Raynor, 1973). In recruiting participants,
individuals were told that they would receive up to five extra credit points
for participation in the experiment. In the experimental session, all partic-
ipants were informed they would perform the task for 8 min followed by
the receipt of feedback. Participants in the contingent condition were told
that they would receive three extra credit points for doing the initial 8-min
task and that if they did well enough they could do the task again for 3 min
to earn two more extra credit points. Well enough was defined in terms of
the participant’s goal: In the performance-approach goal condition, partic-
ipants were told that if they were “exceptional,” they would have the
opportunity to do the task again for more extra credit; in the performance-
avoidance condition, participants were told that if they were “not one of the
poor puzzle solvers,” they would have the opportunity to do the task again
for more extra credit; and in the mastery goal condition, participants were
told that if they “mastered this task” they would have the opportunity to do
the task again for more extra credit. Participants in the noncontingent
condition were simply told that after doing the initial 8-min task they
would do the task again for 3 min. Thus, participants in the contingent
condition were led to believe that they could do both tasks and earn all five
extra credit points only if they attained a certain quality of performance on
the initial task, whereas those in the noncontingent condition were led to
believe that they could do both tasks and earn all five extra credit points
independent of the quality of their performance on the initial task.

After reading the manipulation, the experimenter confirmed that partic-
ipants understood the information and then started participants on the task.
After completing the 8-min task, participants filled out a questionnaire
containing manipulation checks and a few demographic items. For the
achievement goal manipulation check, participants were asked “What was
your goal for this task?,” and they responded with one of the following:
“To prove that you are an exceptional player,” “To prove that you are not
one of the worst players of this game,” or “To learn to play the game.” For
the contingency manipulation check, participants were asked “Was there
anything that you had to do on the first task to get to move on to the second
task?,” and they responded with “yes” or “no.”

Following completion of the questionnaire, all participants were pro-
vided with positive performance feedback, regardless of their actual per-
formance. All participants also received five extra credit points and a
thorough debriefing on the purposes of the experiment.

Table 2
Means and Standard Deviations for Verbal Performance as a
Function of Achievement Goal Condition

Achievement goal condition M SD

Performance-approach (n � 13) 7.07a 1.57
Performance-avoidance (n � 10) 5.11b 2.12
Mastery (n � 13) 7.31a 1.44

Note. Means with different subscripts are significantly different at p �
.05 by the Fisher least significant difference test. Means were adjusted for
gender and grade point average.

634 ELLIOT, SHELL, BOUAS HENRY, AND MAIER

Results and Discussion

Preliminary analyses. Chi-square tests of independence were
calculated to determine whether participants’ achievement goal
and contingency reports corresponded to their achievement goal
and contingency conditions. The achievement goal analysis
yielded a significant effect, �2(1, N � 61) � 53.26, p � .01, as did
the contingency analysis, �2(1, N � 61) � 49.65, p � .01,
indicating that this was indeed the case.

Primary analyses. In an initial omnibus analysis, a 3 (achieve-
ment goal: performance-approach vs. performance-avoidance vs.
mastery) � 2 (contingency: contingent vs. noncontingent)
between-participants factorial analysis of covariance (gender as a
covariate) was conducted on participants’ task performance. To
examine our specific hypotheses, planned comparisons (LSD tests)
followed the omnibus analysis.

The omnibus analysis revealed a significant effect for achieve-
ment goal condition across contingency condition, F(2, 54) �
34.83, p � .01. Planned comparisons were then conducted to
examine the differences between the achievement goal means.
These analyses indicated that performance-avoidance goal partic-
ipants (M � 81.01) performed worse than did performance-
approach goal participants (M � 146.34), t(38) � 5.61, p � .01,
and mastery goal participants (M � 120.07), t(37) � 5.33, p � .01.
Performance-approach goal participants performed better than
mastery goal participants, t(38) � 2.07, p � .05. The main effect
for contingency was not significant.

More important, this achievement goal main effect was qualified
by a significant Achievement Goal � Contingency interaction,
F(2, 54) � 16.30, p � .01. Two sets of planned comparisons were
then conducted. In the first set, the difference between the achieve-
ment goal conditions was examined within each contingency con-
dition. The analyses within the noncontingent condition (i.e., the
condition directly analogous to Experiments 1A and 1B) indicated
that performance-avoidance goal participants (M � 93.71) per-
formed worse than did performance-approach goal participants
(M � 115.64), t(18) � 2.19, p � .05, and mastery goal participants
(M � 122.04), t(17) � 2.97, p � .01. There was no difference
between performance-approach and mastery goal participants. The
analyses within the contingent condition indicated that perfor-
mance-avoidance goal participants (M � 68.31) performed worse
than did performance-approach goal participants (M � 177.04),
t(17) � 7.54, p � .01, and mastery goal participants (M � 118.10),
t(17) � 4.59, p � .01. In addition, performance-approach goal
participants performed better than did mastery goal participants,
t(17) � 2.34, p � .05; gender was also significant in this analysis,
t(17) � 2.48, p � .05, indicting that males performed better than
females. See Table 3 for a summary of the results.

In the second set of planned comparisons, the difference be-
tween the contingency conditions was examined within each
achievement goal condition. The analyses indicated that perfor-
mance-approach goal participants performed better in the contin-
gent condition (M � 177.04) than in the noncontingent condition
(M � 115.64), t(18) � 4.37, p � .01. Conversely, performance-
avoidance goal participants performed worse in the contingent
condition (M � 68.31) than in the noncontingent condition (M �
93.71), t(18) � 2.66, p � .05. Mastery goal participants did not
evidence any performance differences as a function of contingency
condition. See Table 3 for a summary of these results.

In summary, the results from this experiment are in accord with
our hypotheses. In the absence of a performance contingency, the
achievement goal results replicated those of Experiments 1A and
1B, but in the presence of a performance contingency perfor-
mance-approach goals were shown to have a more positive effect
on performance than mastery goals. Furthermore, the presence of
a performance contingency was shown to accentuate the effects of
performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals on per-
formance and was shown to have little impact on the effect of
mastery goals on performance.

General Discussion

The results of the present experiments provided strong support
for our hypotheses. In Experiments 1A and 1B, the effect of
achievement goals on performance attainment was examined in the
absence of a performance contingency. Performance-avoidance
goals were shown to undermine performance relative to perfor-
mance-approach and mastery goals. Performance-approach and
mastery goals exhibited no performance differences. In Experi-
ment 2, the effect of achievement goals on performance attainment
was examined in both the absence and the presence of a perfor-
mance contingency. In the absence of a performance contingency,
performance-avoidance goals were shown to undermine perfor-
mance relative to performance-approach and mastery goals, and
performance-approach and mastery goals displayed no perfor-
mance differences. Thus, these results replicated the results of
Experiments 1A and 1B and showed that these effects are robust
across two age groups (high schoolers and college undergraduates)
and two countries (Germany and the United States). The findings
for achievement goals were different in the presence of a perfor-
mance contingency. Although performance-avoidance goals were
again shown to undermine performance relative to performance-
approach and mastery goals, performance-approach goals were
found to have a more positive effect on performance than mastery
goals. The effect of the presence or absence of a performance
contingency was also examined for each individual achievement
goal. Performance-approach goal participants performed better in
the presence of a contingency than in the absence of a contingency,
whereas performance-avoidance goal participants performed
worse in the presence of a contingency than in the absence of a

Table 3
Means and Standard Deviations for Puzzle Performance as a
Function of Achievement Goal and Contingency Condition

Achievement goal condition

Contingent Noncontingent

M SD M SD

Performance-approach 177.04aA 41.23 115.64aB 18.32
Performance-avoidance 68.31bA 17.44 93.71bB 26.39
Mastery 118.10cA 19.94 122.04aA 18.06

Note. For the performance-approach/noncontingent condition, n � 11;
for all other conditions n � 10. Within the contingency condition, achieve-
ment goal means with different lowercase subscripts are significantly
different at p � .05 by the Fisher least significant difference test. Within
the achievement goal condition, contingency means with different upper-
case subscripts are significantly different at p � .05 by the Fisher least
significant difference test. Means are adjusted for gender.

635ACHIEVEMENT GOALS

contingency. The effect of mastery goals on performance was not
influenced by the presence or absence of a performance
contingency.

The results obtained for each of the goals in the trichotomous
model are highly consistent with those observed in the extant
research with measured achievement goals, and, importantly, they
firmly establish the causal influence of these goals on performance
attainment.2 The most robust finding in the measurement-based
literature on achievement goals and performance is that perfor-
mance-avoidance goals are negatively related to performance at-
tainment. The present research documented this relationship em-
phatically, in showing that a brief, avoidance-based framing
manipulation can undermine performance on a standardized intel-
ligence test. Furthermore, the present research points to a likely
reason that the undermining influence of performance-avoidance
goals is so consistently observed in the existing measurement-
based studies: These goals are inimical for performance regardless
of whether a performance contingency is present or absent in the
achievement context. Thus, our findings add to a growing body of
empirical work attesting to the negative and widespread influence
of avoidance-based regulation in achievement settings.

Our results for performance-approach goals clearly document
their positive influence on performance, an issue that has been a
source of contention in the measurement-based literature (Harac-
kiewicz et al., 2002; Midgley, Kaplan, & Middleton, 2001). The
cumulative evidence seems undeniable at this point that perfor-
mance-approach goals can facilitate performance, and the present
findings indicate that they are particularly likely to do so when
performance contingencies are present in the achievement context.
Given the prevalence of such contingencies in real-world achieve-
ment contexts, it may be tempting to suggest that the positive
impact of performance-approach goals is widespread. However,
further research is needed to empirically examine the generaliz-
ability of the observed effects. As will be detailed shortly, the
conditions for performance-approach goals in the present experi-
ments may have been quite optimal, and it remains to be seen
whether positive performance results would be obtained with a
creativity-based task, with a long-term indicator of performance
attainment, with the prior provision of failure feedback, or with
younger, less able, or less committed participants (see Elliot &
Moller, 2003; Midgley et al., 2001).

Our results for mastery goals shed light on a conundrum in the
achievement goal literature. Specifically, recent reviews of the
literature have expressed puzzlement over the inability of mastery
goals to facilitate performance to the same degree as performance-
approach goals (Brophy, 2004; Midgley et al., 2001). Our achieve-
ment goal results within contingency condition indicated that
mastery and performance-approach goals were equal facilitators of
performance in the absence of a performance contingency and that
it was when a contingency was added to the achievement context
that performance-approach goals evidenced a performance advan-
tage. These results suggest that mastery goals may be impervious
to certain potentially facilitative influences in the evaluative envi-
ronment but, importantly, mastery goals may also be impervious to
potentially debilitating influences that are sometimes encountered
in achievement settings such as strong self-presentation or self-
validation cues, harsh or stringent evaluative structures, and so
forth (Ames, 1992; Maehr & Midgley, 1991). As such, the task
focus of mastery goals may not be beneficial for performance in

some instances, but it may serve an important prophylactic role in
others, and subsequent research would do well to explore this
possibility. It is also important to note that regardless of their
effects on performance, mastery goals have been shown to facili-
tate other desirable outcomes in achievement settings (see later in
this discussion for details), thereby unequivocally and emphati-
cally establishing their importance and value.

Our contingency results within achievement goal condition con-
ceptually replicated those obtained by Raynor and Rubin (1971)
with achievement motives. Like the need for achievement, perfor-
mance-approach goals were more positive predictors of perfor-
mance in the presence of a contingency, and like fear of failure,
performance-avoidance goals were (even) more negative predic-
tors of performance in the presence of a contingency. Mastery
goals, despite being an approach form of motivation like the need
for achievement and performance-approach goals, did not evi-
dence a performance increment in the presence of a contingency.
This empirical correspondence between Raynor’s need for
achievement data and our performance-approach (but not mastery)
goal data raises questions about the qualitative nature of the
motivation assessed by the classic need for achievement measure.
Although this measure has been portrayed as assessing a purely
mastery-based form of achievement motivation (Koestner & Mc-
Clleland, 1990; McClelland, 1985), the juxtaposition of our results
with those of Raynor suggests otherwise. Indeed, careful scrutiny
of the categories within this measure reveals a strong focus on
normative, prestige-oriented competence, and it is interesting to
note that in the process of developing the measure, McClelland
relied on achievement arousing situations characterized as “ego
involving” (McClelland et al., 1953, p. 102). This highlights the
need to attend to the performance–mastery distinction at both the
motive and the goal level of analysis, a process that was started by
Spence and Helmreich (1983) with regard to explicit need for
achievement, but it is one that has been completely ignored, to
date, with regard to implicit need for achievement.

In the present research, we operationalized the concept of in-
strumentality in terms of performance contingencies in close tem-
poral proximity to the task at hand. This operationalization yielded
important insights into the effect of achievement goals on perfor-

2 Our experimental manipulation of achievement goals afforded the
documentation of a causal relationship between goals and performance
attainment, but potential limitations of these manipulations may be noted.
In focusing performance-approach goal participants on average or excep-
tional performance and performance-avoidance goal participants on aver-
age or poor performance, we may have elicited differential competence
expectancies as well as differential valenced foci, and we did not test for
this possibility. However, prior work that has used similar achievement
goal manipulations (Cury, Elliot, Sarrazin, Da Fonseca, & Rufo, 2002;
Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996, Experiment 1) has examined this possibility
and found that this type of goal manipulation has no effect on competence
expectancies. A related point is that our goal manipulations were rather
strong, such that performance-approach participants may have felt some-
what sheltered from potential failure, and performance-avoidance partici-
pants may have felt somewhat restrained from potential success. However,
prior work (Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996, Experiment 2) has found that
similar results are obtained when this type of strong achievement goal
manipulation and a weaker manipulation that simply mentions the possi-
bility of success or failure are used.

636 ELLIOT, SHELL, BOUAS HENRY, AND MAIER

mance attainment and represents the first study to manipulate and
examine the joint effects of achievement goals and instrumental-
ities. Furthermore, our research contains the first avoidance-based
manipulation of instrumentality (i.e., the performance-avoidance–
contingent cell) reported in the achievement motivation literature.
It is important to note, however, that there are other types and
dimensions of instrumentalities, as well as other temporal prox-
imities, that warrant research attention. For example, researchers
have articulated distinctions between intrinsic and extrinsic (Lens,
2001), endogenous and exogenous (Husman & Lens, 1999), and
internally regulated and externally regulated (Lens & Rand, 1997)
instrumentalities and documented their differential influences on
motivational processes (Husman, Derryberry, Crowson, & Lomax,
2004; Simons et al., 2000; Vansteenkiste et al., 2004). In addition,
researchers have discussed and examined the effects of instrumen-
talities containing multiple, rather than single, contingent paths
(Raynor, 1981) and have examined the impact of concerns in the
distant, rather than near, future (Gjesme, 1981; Nuttin, 1984).
Attending to such distinctions in subsequent research promises to
yield a more complete understanding of the achievement goal-
instrumentality interface.

Broadly stated, a “take home” message from the present re-
search is that the relationship between achievement goals and
performance attainment, and the attainment of competence more
generally, is complex. A clear understanding of this relationship
would seem to require consideration of the match between the
structure of and processes evoked by achievement goals, and
factors such as (a) the standard used in evaluating competence, (b)
the public or private nature of competence evaluation, (c) the type
of processing and engagement needed for the attainment of com-
petence, (d) the interest value of the task, (e) the timing and source
of competence feedback, (f) the time frame of competence out-
comes, and, of course, (g) the presence or absence of instrumen-
talities. These and, undoubtedly, other factors are posited to have
an important impact on the link between achievement goals and
the attainment of competence.

This point may be illustrated with regard to the question of when
performance-approach goals are likely to facilitate the attainment
of competence to a greater degree than mastery goals. Mastery
goals use a positive task/intrapersonal standard in competence
evaluation which is presumed to evoke challenge appraisals and an
interest-based absorption in task engagement. Performance-
approach goals, on the other hand, use a positive normative stan-
dard in competence evaluation that is presumed to evoke many of
the same positive processes as mastery goals but is also thought to
foster a more external focus on the evaluative environment and on
what is needed to attain competence. As such, the facilitative
influence of these goals is likely to be observed across a broader
range of tasks, contexts, and situations. Specifically, the advantage
of performance-approach goals over mastery goals is most likely
to be observed when (a) competence is evaluated using a norma-
tive standard, (b) competence is evaluated publicly, (c) shallow
processing is needed for the attainment of competence, (d) the task
is boring, (e) competence feedback is acquired from an external
source, (f) short-term outcomes are considered, and (g) instrumen-
talities are present.

With regard to performance-avoidance goals, these goals use a
negative normative standard in competence evaluation that is
presumed to evoke a host of aversive processes based in anxiety,

self-protection, and relational insecurity that undermine compe-
tence attainment across most tasks, contexts, and situations. These
goals are likely to be most debilitating when (a) competence is
evaluated using a normative standard, (b) competence is evaluated
publicly, (c) deep processing is needed for the attainment of
competence, (d) the task is boring, (e) competence feedback is
acquired from an external source, (f) long-term outcomes are
considered, and (g) instrumentalities are present. Are performance-
avoidance goals detrimental to competence outcomes in any and
all situations? Not necessarily. There are likely to be some cir-
cumscribed instances in which these goals can benefit perfor-
mance, such as when one is winning near the end of a competition
and conservatism becomes more prudent than risk-taking (see
Elliot & Conroy, 2005).3 However, such occasions are clearly
exceptions to the general principle, amply documented in the
literature, that performance-avoidance goals are inimical to
performance.

Given the positive results observed for performance-approach
goals in our experiments, it is reasonable to ask whether these data
lead to the conclusion that performance-approach goals should be
promoted or encouraged by teachers, administrators, and parents.
We do not think that such a conclusion is warranted for several
reasons. First, this conclusion would be premature. More research
is needed to examine the generalizability of our results across the
aforementioned factors and other situation-specific (e.g., perceived
competence), domain-general (e.g., implicit theories of ability),
dispositional (e.g., fear of failure), and demographic (e.g., age)
variables. Second, it is important to reiterate that the present
research focused on one of many important outcomes in achieve-
ment settings. Although performance attainment is, of course, an
outcome of great importance, other outcomes such as task choice,
creativity, intrinsic motivation, well-being, information retention,
and learning itself must be weighed when considering the benefits
and costs of goal pursuit. Research indicates that performance-
approach goals do not facilitate many of these other desired
outcomes and that mastery goals are vital in this regard (Butler,
1987; Elliot & McGregor, 1999; Graham & Golen, 1991; Harac-
kiewicz et al., 2002; Heyman & Dweck, 1992; Midgley et al.,
2001; Van Yperen, 2003). Accordingly, an important question is
whether performance-approach and mastery goals can be pursued
together (e.g., with performance-approach goals facilitating per-
formance attainment and mastery goals facilitating other desired
outcomes) or whether performance-approach goals “drive out”
mastery goals (Midgley et al., 2001, p. 83). On a related note, our
research does not address the question of how performance con-
tingencies interact with different combinations of achievement
goals in affecting achievement outcomes. Future research on these
“multiple goals” issues would be welcomed (see Barron & Harac-
kiewicz, 2001; Pintrich, 2000).

3 Although avoidance-based goals may not undermine, and can even
facilitate, performance under certain circumscribed conditions, a separate
question concerns the phenomenological implications of such goal pursuit.
Avoidance regulation, even when effective for performance, is likely to be
associated with aversive experiential states (e.g., anxiety, distraction, ru-
mination) that would undoubtedly undermine persistence, enjoyment, and
performance in the long run.

637ACHIEVEMENT GOALS

Finally, empirical research demonstrates what is at present; it is
mute as to what could or should be in the future. It is critical to
keep this distinction in mind when interpreting data from achieve-
ment goal research. Even if the empirical profile displayed by
performance-approach goals is positive (to whatever degree),
metatheoretical or philosophical considerations may keep one
from supporting these goals (Elliot & Moller, 2003). For example,
those who yearn for more cooperative as opposed to competitive
societal structures may contend that advanced industrial societies
are so rife with competition already that the last thing needed is an
additional fostering of normative striving (Kohn, 1986; Nicholls,
1989; Orlick, 1979; see Urdan’s [2003] excellent discussion of
idealists vs. realists in this regard). In short, a temperate stance is
called for regarding performance-approach goals. Our data indi-
cate the need for a deeper and more intricate consideration of these
goals and their effects, and, for some, our data may suggest that an
antagonistic stance toward any and all forms of performance-
approach goals, in any and all achievement contexts, is unneces-
sary. However, and importantly, our data in no way suggest a
move from the long-time and modal position of encouraging the
adoption of mastery goals (Ames, 1992; Maehr & Midgley, 1991)
or the more recently articulated position of discouraging the adop-
tion of performance-avoidance goals (Elliot, 1999).

In conclusion, the present research highlights the need for a
more rigorous, systematic examination of the effects of achieve-
ment goals on performance attainment. For many years, achieve-
ment goal researchers assumed that mastery goals exert a positive
influence and performance goals exert a negative influence on
performance. However, the present experimental research, in ac-
cord with recent field research, indicates that it is performance-
avoidance goals, not performance goals in general, that have a
negative influence on performance. Furthermore, our research
documented that the relative impact of mastery and performance-
approach goals on performance depends on the presence or ab-
sence of performance contingencies. Clearly, the achievement
goal-performance relationship is more complex than initially an-
ticipated, and a full understanding of this important relationship
awaits additional experimental and field research attending to
various features of the achievement task, context, and situation.

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Received February 14, 2005
Revision received June 10, 2005

Accepted July 12, 2005 �

640 ELLIOT, SHELL, BOUAS HENRY, AND MAIER