Social Content Goals and Social Achievement Goals: Influence on Adolescent Engagement, Belonging, and Classroom Support

• In Event: 33.064 - Advances in Social Achievement Goal Research: Evidence Converging From Diverse Settings

Abstract

Social goals are important to understanding adolescent motivation, behavior, and adjustment. A content approach to social goals focuses on what students are striving for among peers (Wentzel, 2000) and has been linked to social and academic adjustment (Anderman, 1999; Kiefer & Ryan, 2008; Wentzel, 1993). Recently, social goals have been conceptualized as distinct orientations toward social competence, including development and demonstration goals, using the achievement goal framework (Ryan & Shim, 2006) and have been linked to social adjustment in school (Rodkin et al., 2012; Ryan & Shim, 2008). Although these approaches are conceptualized as being complementary, they have not been examined concurrently. This study examined relations among social content and social achievement goals and their influence on engagement, belonging, and classroom support to understand the unique contributions of both goal approaches to school adjustment. Gender and ethnicity were examined as possible moderators.
Data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal study that investigated motivation, engagement, and belonging in a classroom-specific context in one large urban middle school (grades 6-8) in a southeastern state (N = 209; 61% females; 36% White, 39% Latino, 25% Other). Students reported social content goals (dominance, popularity, intimacy; Jarvinen & Nicholls, 1996) and social achievement goals (development, approach, avoidance; Ryan & Shim, 2008). Social self-efficacy was measured as a control variable (Patrick et al., 1997). Students reported involved and disruptive behavior (Kaplan & Maehr, 1999; Skinner & Belmont, 1993), school belonging (Goodenow, 1993), as well as teacher and peer support (emotional, academic; Johnson & Johnson, 1983). Measures were reliable (α's ranged=.76-.88) and supported by exploratory factor analyses.
Correlation analyses indicated intimacy and social development goals as well as popularity, dominance, and social approach goals were positively, moderately correlated. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated social content and social achievement goals had unique, significant influences on adjustment and were moderated by gender and ethnicity after controlling for social efficacy (interaction figures provided in final presentation). For engagement, dominance goals were positively associated with involved behavior for minority students (β=.29, p<.01). Social development goals were positively associated with involved behavior for girls (β=.23, p<.05) and negatively associated with disruptive behavior (β=-.27, p<.01). Intimacy goals were positively associated (β=.26, p<.01) and popularity goals were negatively associated (β=-.30, p<.001) with belonging. Dominance goals were positively associated with belonging for minority students (β=.14, p<.05). Social development goals were positively associated with belonging (β=.16, p<.05); social approach goals were negatively associated with belonging for girls (β=.24, p<.05). For classroom support, popularity goals were negatively associated with teacher support for boys (β=-.32, p<.01). Intimacy and social development goals were positively associated with teacher support (β=.22, p<.05; β=.21, p<.05, respectively). Dominance goals were positively associated (β=.25, p<.01) and popularity goals were positively associated with peer support for minority students (β=.23, p<.05). Social development goals were positively associated with peer support for minority students (β=.21, p<.05).
Results support conceptualizing social content and achievement goals as complementary approaches to understanding adolescent social motivation and have implications for promoting adjustment among students in diverse, urban middle schools.

Author

• Sarah M. Kiefer, University of South Florida