Components of Achievement Motivation in Young Children

• Published in: International journal of behavioral development 1982-12, Vol.5 (4), p.467-489
• Main Authors: de Bruyn, Eric E.J., van den Bercken, John H.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0165-0254; 1464-0651
• DOI: 10.1177/016502548200500405

The emergence of the components of achievement motivation was studied in two groups of kindergarten children of 5:06 and 6:06 years old. The theoretical framework was provided by Heckhausen's concept of motivation as a self-reinforcing system. Several tasks were constructed, each consisting of 6 items, half of which were manipulated to be failed, in order to measure the children's causal attribution, affective self-evaluation, goal-setting and perception of task difficulty. In addition scores on a test for achievement motivation were obtained. Perception of difficulty and affective self-evaluation were found to be influenced by type of task and by age. The relations between the task variables did not reflect the structure predicted by Heckhausen's theory. The development status of the components of the achievement motivation system is discussed. The results are interpreted as reflecting a differential development of a cognitive and affective evaluative structure in young children.