Personality traits and achievement motives: theoretical and empirical relations between the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised and the Achievement Motives Scale. 2009

Age Diseth, and Øyvind Martinsen
Faculty of Psychology, Christiesgate 12, University of Bergen, N-5015 Bergen, Norway. aage.diseth@psysp.uib.no

Theoretical and empirical relations between personality traits and motive dispositions were investigated by comparing scores of 315 undergraduate psychology students on the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised and the Achievement Motives Scale. Analyses showed all NEO Personality Inventory-Revised factors except agreeableness were significantly correlated with the motive for success and the motive to avoid failure. A structural equation model showed that motive for success was predicted by Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism (negative relation), and motive to avoid failure was predicted by Neuroticism and Openness (negative relation). Although both achievement motives were predicted by several personality factors, motive for success was most strongly predicted by Openness, and motive to avoid failure was most strongly predicted by neuroticism. These findings extended previous research on the relations of personality traits and achievement motives and provided a basis for the discussion of motive dispositions in personality. The results also added to the construct validity of the Achievement Motives Scale.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009042 Motivation Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli. Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D010551 Personality Behavior-response patterns that characterize the individual. Personalities
D010552 Personality Assessment The determination and evaluation of personality attributes by interviews, observations, tests, or scales. Articles concerning personality measurement are considered to be within scope of this term. Assessment, Personality,Assessments, Personality,Personality Assessments
D010555 Personality Inventory Check list, usually to be filled out by a person about himself, consisting of many statements about personal characteristics which the subject checks. Edwards Personal Preference Schedule,Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Indicator, Myers-Briggs Type,Inventories, Personality,Inventory, Personality,Myers Briggs Type Indicator,Personality Inventories
D011594 Psychometrics Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures. Psychometric
D004522 Educational Status Educational attainment or level of education of an individual. Education Level,Educational Achievement,Educational Attainment,Educational Level,Level of Education,Maternal Education Level,Maternal Educational Attainment,Maternal Educational Level,Paternal Education Level,Paternal Educational Attainment,Paternal Educational Level,Achievement, Educational,Educational Status, Maternal,Educational Status, Paternal,Maternal Educational Status,Paternal Educational Status,Status, Educational,Attainment, Educational,Attainment, Maternal Educational,Attainment, Paternal Educational,Education Level, Maternal,Education Level, Paternal,Education Levels,Educational Achievements,Educational Attainment, Maternal,Educational Attainment, Paternal,Educational Attainments,Educational Level, Maternal,Educational Level, Paternal,Educational Levels,Level, Education,Level, Educational,Level, Maternal Education,Level, Maternal Educational,Level, Paternal Education,Level, Paternal Educational,Levels, Maternal Educational,Maternal Education Levels,Maternal Educational Attainments,Maternal Educational Levels,Paternal Education Levels,Paternal Educational Attainments,Paternal Educational Levels,Status, Maternal Educational,Status, Paternal Educational
D005163 Factor Analysis, Statistical A set of statistical methods for analyzing the correlations among several variables in order to estimate the number of fundamental dimensions that underlie the observed data and to describe and measure those dimensions. It is used frequently in the development of scoring systems for rating scales and questionnaires. Analysis, Factor,Analysis, Statistical Factor,Factor Analysis,Statistical Factor Analysis,Analyses, Factor,Analyses, Statistical Factor,Factor Analyses,Factor Analyses, Statistical,Statistical Factor Analyses
D005260 Female Females
D006040 Goals The end-result or objective, which may be specified or required in advance. Goal

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