The current study introduces the Mastery Performance-Goal Orientation Test, an innovative assessment tool designed to measure individuals’ goal orientation. The research aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of this test as an objective behavioral instrument. Two studies were conducted; in the first study, with 293 adult participants, the test demonstrated wide score distribution and high internal consistency, with mastery-oriented participants excelling in category learning. In contrast, performance-oriented participants showed less discriminatory response patterns but achieved higher scores. The second study, involving 41 undergraduate students, found that mastery-oriented individuals scored higher on learning tasks than their performance-oriented counterparts. The results suggest the test’s potential to predict learning outcomes, proposing its value in assessing goal orientation.
Introduction
Goal orientation is an integral part of personality theory and motivational psychology. It describes an individual’s consistent pattern of considering goals and the manner in which they approach, engage, and respond to achievement situations. Two primary types of goal orientation have been delineated in the literature: mastery orientation and performance orientation. Mastery-oriented individuals focus on learning and developing competence, valuing personal improvement and effort. On the other hand, performance-oriented individuals prioritize demonstrating competence relative to others, with an emphasis on outcomes and favorable judgments.
Understanding an individual’s goal orientation is critical for several domains, from educational settings to workplace environments. Miriam M. Romero, José Manuel Hernández, James F. Juola, Cristina Casadevante, and José Santacreu, from the Faculty of Psychology and Applied Psychology Center at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, have developed the Mastery Performance-Goal Orientation Test to quantitatively assess this construct.
Methodology
The test was validated through two robust studies. In Study 1, 293 adults completed the newly designed test. The test tasked participants with various scenarios where they could exhibit either mastery or performance goal orientations. Their responses were scored along a single dimension reflecting their orientation.
Study 2 involved 41 undergraduate students who took the same test. Additional assessments measured their learning task performance following the test to observe correlations between goal orientation and subsequent learning.
Results & Discussion
The first study revealed that participants exhibited a broad range of goal orientation scores, evidencing the test’s ability to capture a wide variety of individual differences. Internal consistency was high, indicating the reliability of the test as a measurement tool. Participants with a tendency towards mastery orientation displayed superior category learning abilities. In contrast, those leaning towards performance orientation were less selective in their responses but managed to accumulate higher scores regardless.
The second study confirmed the findings from Study 1, with mastery-oriented individuals outperforming the performance-oriented individuals in learning tasks. This suggested that mastery orientation might be positively correlated with the ability to learn and perform in academic settings.
Together, these findings indicate that the Mastery Performance-Goal Orientation Test could be a valuable instrument in predicting learning outcomes and distinguishing between mastery and performance goal orientations. The test’s practical implications in educational psychology are significant as it can guide educators to tailor teaching strategies better suited to individual students’ learning needs.
Implications & Conclusion
The studies suggest that this objective behavioral test could be extensively used in various settings for both diagnostic and predictive purposes. For employers and organizational psychologists, understanding an employee’s goal orientation could inform training and development plans. In educational contexts, the findings could implement educational interventions tailored to students’ learning styles.
In conclusion, Romero and her colleagues have made a substantial contribution to psychological assessment tools by providing an objective measure of goal orientation. While further research might explore the test’s applicability across different age groups and cultural contexts, its current iteration offers a robust foundation for understanding how individuals approach and achieve their goals.
References
1. Romero, M. M., Hernández, J. M., Juola, J. F., Casadevante, C., & Santacreu, J. (2020). Goal Orientation Test: An Objective Behavioral Test. Psychological Reports, 123(4), 1425-1451. doi:10.1177/0033294119845847
2. Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 × 2 achievement goal framework. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(3), 501-519.
3. Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41(10), 1040–1048.
4. Pintrich, P. R. (2000). An achievement goal theory perspective on issues in motivation terminology, theory, and research. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 92-104.
5. Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(3), 261-271.
Keywords
1. Achievement Goals Assessment
2. Mastery vs Performance Orientation
3. Educational Psychology Tools
4. Goal Orientation Measurement
5. Predicative Learning Assessment
Author Credentials
Miriam M. Romero, Ph.D. 0000-0003-1658-033X – Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
José Manuel Hernández, M.S. – Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
James F. Juola, Ph.D. – Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Cristina Casadevante, Ph.D. 0000-0002-2075-2221 – Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
José Santacreu, Ph.D. – Applied Psychology Center, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.