Predicting success in college: A longitudinal study of achievement goals and ability measures as predictors of interest and performance from freshman year through graduation.
Abstract
The authors examined the role of achievement goals, ability, and high school performance in predicting academic success over students’ college careers. First, the authors examined which variables predicted students’ interest and performance in an introductory psychology course taken their first semester in college. Then, the authors followed students until they graduated to examine continued interest in psychology and performance in subsequent classes. Achievement goals, ability measures, and prior high school performance each contributed unique variance in predicting initial and long-term outcomes, but these predictors were linked to different educational outcomes. Mastery goals predicted continued interest, whereas performance-approach goals predicted performance. Ability measures and prior high school performance predicted academic performance but not interest. The findings support a multiple goals perspective.
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Harackiewicz and colleagues provided empirical evidence that different forms of motivation have differential effects on different learning outcomes.
“Harackiewicz andcolleagues (2000 &2002) provided empirical evidence for their argument that different forms of motivation will have differential effects on different learning outcomes.”
From Teachers’ perceptions of declining participation in school music (2011) · cites this paper as Harackiewicz et al., 2002
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- Authors
- Harackiewicz, J. M., Barron, K. E., Tauer, J. M., & Elliot, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- James Madison University (US)
- University of Rochester (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Educational Psychology
- Published
- 2002-09
- Volume
- 94
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 562-575
- ISSN
- 0022-0663 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2176
- OpenAlex
- W2117283329
- Cited by
- 921
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 53 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 62 · 2013: 51 · 2012: 60
- FWCI
- 16.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Educational Psychology (publishedVersion)
- UST Research Online (University of St. Thomas - Minnesota) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Outcomes and Influences
- Keywords
- achievement goals, mastery goals, performance-approach goals, secondary school performance, student learning interest, academic performance, introductory psychology course, university students
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