The Significance of Locus-of-Esteem Enhancements in Pride-Based Assessment of the Need for Achievement

Open Access
- Author:
- Metzler, Jonathan Norman
- Graduate Program:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- March 26, 2007
- Committee Members:
- David E Conroy, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
George M Graham, Committee Member
Scott M Hofer, Committee Member
Rayne Audrey Sperling, Committee Member
Karl Maxim Newell, Committee Member - Keywords:
- self-conscious affect
competence motivation
pride
need for achievement
competence feedback - Abstract:
- Contemporary sport motivation research, which has frequently focused on achievement goals, may be enhanced by classic achievement motivation theory (Atkinson, 1957; Murray, 1938) provided that central constructs are adequately conceptualized and operationalized. Approach- and avoidance-valenced achievement motives labeled need for achievement (nAch) and fear of failure (FF), respectively, were originally defined in affective terms, yet only the latter has received substantial attention in contemporary sport psychology research (Conroy, 2001a, 2001b, 2004). The first manuscript in this dissertation intended to reconceptualize nAch within the context of Lazarus’ (1991; 1999) cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion and describe the potential value of bifurcating nAch into two forms of anticipatory pride based on the locus of esteem enhancement: intrapersonal (IaP; self-esteem enhancement) and interpersonal (IeP; social-esteem enhancement). The second manuscript reported the development and validation of the Need Achievement Pride Scale (NAPS), a measure of cognitive-motivational-relational beliefs associated with the nAch. College students (N = 595) completed the NAPS and a variety of other measures. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a structure of two correlated factors including IaP and IeP beliefs that demonstrated factorial invariance across randomly drawn halves of the sample. In general, NAPS scores were associated with (a) high levels of nAch, reward responsiveness, drive, self-esteem, happiness, state hope, alpha and beta pride, and approach achievement goals, and (b) low levels of depression, but were unrelated to behavioral inhibition, positive and negative affectivity, FF, and avoidance achievement goals. Results of simultaneous regression analyses delineated the unique meaning of each pride score. The final manuscript presented an investigation of achievement motives on individuals’ affective responses to success/failure while trying to outperform others. College students (N = 168) completed nAch and FF measures before performing a novel golf-chipping task. Participants rated their pride and shame levels prior to and following randomly assigned normative success or failure feedback that followed each of three performance blocks. Latent growth curve modeling revealed positive associations between IaP/FF and initial pride/shame, respectively. Analysis also exposed strong feedback-contingent changes in self-conscious affect. These results supported the predictive validity of nAch operationalized as an emotional disposition.