Who are the high achievers at work? Perceived motivational climate, goal orientation profiles, and work performance

Does encouraging mastery goals benefit performance in a scoring exercise? It may depend on chronic self-adopted achievement goals

INTRODUCTION

Mastery goals (aims to learn or attain skill) have traditionally been portrayed in achievement-motivation literature as the optimal goal for ensuring objective performance and well-being outcomes (relative to performance goals - aims to outperform others). This portrayal often yielded the recommendation that those in applied settings, such as coaches, managers, and teachers, should encourage those whom they lead to pursue mastery goals. We put this assertion to a test by examining whether the effect of situationally induced goals depends on the goals that individuals personally self-adopt.

METHODS

We hypothesized that inducing mastery goals would be beneficial for individuals who self-adopt performance goals (Hypothesis 1), while inducing performance goals would be beneficial for individuals who self-adopt mastery goals (Hypothesis 2). We conducted an experiment among amateur field hockey players to test these hypotheses in a scoring exercise.

RESULTS

We found that encouraging a mastery goal (compared with a performance goal) led to higher scoring accuracy among players high in self-adopted performance goals (supporting Hypothesis 1) but also unexpectedly for individuals low in self-adopted mastery goals. We did not find support for Hypothesis 2.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that situationally inducing a mastery goal may be beneficial for individuals who do not already self-adopt mastery goals strongly.

Making a Difference: A Review and Auto-Ethnographic Account of Applying Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in Policing

The current article provides a review and auto-ethnographic account of the application of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in a police setting. After reviewing literature that explores the application of both REBT in policing to date, the focus will then turn to a reflection of the personal experiences of applying the principles of REBT theory in the context of policing. This commentary will highlight the broad applicability of REBT across the many challenging facets of policing. From stress management and resilience enhancement to optimal performance and team cohesion, this article posits that REBT theory provides an accessible foundational framework on which individuals, teams, groups, and systems can perform effectively. The nuanced application of the approach in the face of exposure to traumatic events and cultural challenges within policing will also be discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Goal Orientation Scales in Ecuadorian Undergraduate Students

The present study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the Goal orientation Scales (GOS; Skaalvik, 1997) in a sample of 2,170 Ecuadorian undergraduate students (M = 21. 97, SD = 3.61; 61.6% female). The Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported the four-factor structure of the GOS, and the scale exhibited an adequate factorial invariance for gender. The multidimensional Rasch analysis revealed that one item showed misfit, and the distribution of items did not correspond well with the levels of achievement goals. The current research addresses a formal gap related to the validation of the GOS in a Latin American country and provides advanced psychometric information to further improve the scale for its application to Spanish-speaking samples.

Stability of Individuals' Definitions of Success and the Influence of Perceived Motivational Climate: A Longitudinal Perspective

In the present study, we investigated the stability and malleability of cadets' definitions of success (mastery and performance goal orientations) contextualized within a certain motivational climate (mastery and performance climates). Based on data from three military academies, the results revealed that cadets' goal orientations and their perceptions of the motivational climate remained relatively stable throughout the 2 years of study across three time-points. We also found that a mastery climate predicted individual mastery orientation, and that a performance climate predicted individual performance orientation. These findings contribute to achievement goal theory by clarifying the importance of considering goal orientation contextualized within a certain motivational climate over time. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Motivational Climate and Physical Activity: A Multigroup Analysis in Romanian and Spanish University Students

BACKGROUND

Motivational climate in sport is a psychosocial construct which is related with several factors, such as healthy habits and well-being, and is influenced by teachers, trainers, and parents. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between motivational climate, family functionality, and physical activity within a population of students from Spain and Romania.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of university students specialization: physical education (n = 605; 20.71 ± 2.42 years old), using the perceived motivational climate in sport questionnaire-2 (PMCSQ-2), the physical activity questionnaire for adolescents (PAQ-A), and the family functionality scale (APGAR) as the main instruments. IBM SPSS Amos was used for data analysis in the structural equation model that was developed.

RESULTS

We observed positive relationships between task-oriented climate, family functionality, and the level of physical activity, showing higher regression weights for Spanish university students. Ego-oriented climate was negatively related to family functionality in Spanish university students, while this association was positive in Romanian students. Moreover, the relationship between physical activity and functional family was stronger in respondents from Spain.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be pointed out that a better family functionality can promote higher levels of physical activity and self-determined motivations in sports shown by task-oriented motivational climates. Thus, it is essential to take into account the influence of family in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.