Risk taking and performance in relation to achievement-related motives, defensiveness and social contexts
By: John T. Damm and Anne Bloxom
Series: Research Bulletin. Educational Testing Service -- 1971,49; Research bulletin (Educational Testing Service) -- RB-71-49
Publisher: Educational Testing Service
Published: 1971
Place of publication: Princeton, N.J
Language: und
Number of pages: 43
Subjects: Risk-taking (Psychology); Achievement motivation; Performance in children
Description: The effects of two social contexts on the risk-taking of elementary boys on a shuffleboard task were investigated. It was predicted that Atkinson's motive-probability-incentive (M-P-I) model would be supported in the peer-competitive context. In that the success-oriented subjects would choose more goals with median Ps values than the failure-avoidant subjects, but that these two groups would not differ in this regard in the adult-evaluative context. These hypotheses were supported. A test was also made of Atkinson's recent prediction that performance will relate positively to summated motivation in the peer-competitive context but negatively to this variable in the adult-evaluative context. These predictions were partly supported, and the data were interpreted in terms of the inverted U curve postulated to hold between discriminative behavior and total arousal. The summated motivation measure is a combination of need for achievement, defensiveness and text anxiety.
Notes: "September 1971."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-29).