Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived competence as predictors of goal orientation
Date
2008-05-01T00:02:07Z
Authors
Tupper, Kiku
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Abstract
Research has established that there are important psychological and educational
consequences to the goal orientations that students adopt (Harackiewicz, Barron, Tauer,
Carter, & Elliot, 2000). Therefore, it is important to understand the antecedents of such goal orientations, an area that has received little empirical work (Braten & Stromso, 2006; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Given this need, and the relevance of depression and anxiety to student learning and well being (Pekrun, Elliot, & Maier, 2006), this study provides important information by examining the relationship between these two domains. Multiple-regression analyses conducted on data collected from 196 post
secondary students revealed performance avoid and mastery orientation were significantly predicted by measures of depressive symptoms and perceived academic competence. Different affect and goal patterns were found for males and females, with trait anxiety being a strong predictor of performance avoid orientation for females but not males. There were different affect and goal patterns for students in their first semester and second semester. Predictor variables accounted for significant variance for the spring semester cohort for mastery, performance approach, and performance avoid orientation, but only for mastery orientation with the fall semester cohort. Consilience for the goal orientation constructs, and the suitability of trait versus state anxiety measures are also discussed.
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Keywords
goal orientation, affect