Effects of Ability, Normative, and Mastery Goals on Self-Control and Ego Depletion

• In Event: Looking Beyond Achievement Behaviors in Motivation Research: Additional Antecedents and Consequences

Abstract

The present research experimentally investigated (1) whether ability, normative, and mastery goals have different effects on self-control and ego-depletion and (2) the mediating role of state anxiety, test anxiety, task-irrelevant thoughts, and interest in the effects. A total of 114 undergraduates were randomly assigned to ability goal (n = 38), normative goal (n = 39), or mastery goal (n = 37) conditions. The three different achievement goals were experimentally manipulated. The results showed that the students in the ability goal condition performed significantly worse on self-control tasks and consumed significantly more jellies compared with those in the mastery goal condition. However, state anxiety, test anxiety, task-irrelevant thoughts, and interest did not mediate the effects of achievement goals on self-control outcomes.

Authors

• Seohee Park, Korea University - Brain and Motivation Research Institute
  Presenting Author

• Mimi Bong, Korea University
  Presenting Author

• Sung-il Kim, Korea University
  Presenting Author