c
 

 

 
2
2
2


  





  

 A theory that establishes a relationship between personal
characteristics, social background, and achievement. A person with a strong need for achievement
tends to exhibit such characteristics as: ͻ regarding the task as more important than any
relationship; ͻ having a preference for tasks over which they have control and responsibility; ͻ
needing to identify closely, and be identified closely, with the successful outcomes of their actions; ͻ
seeking tasks that are sufficiently difficult to be challenging, to be capable of demonstrating
expertise, and to gain recognition from others, while also being sufficiently ͙

Achievement motivation theory is one of a number of psychological theories concerning what

makes people do what they do. Knowledge of this theory is useful to managers who wish to
get the most out of their employees.

 

1. Adherents to achievement motivation theory believe people have an innate need to
succeed or to reach a high level of attainment.


 
0. Gsychologists who subscribe to achievement motivation theory consider achievement
motivation---the need to succeed---as a foundation for all human motivation.

u
 
Œ. £nder the theory, achievement motivation tends to feed on itself. That is, people who
experience great levels of success are motivated to strive for more success.

º
 
Ñ. Gsychologists who are adherents to the theory, such as Bernard Weiner, have
postulated that people who achieve high levels of excellence tend to regard those who
do not as not having tried hard enough, while those who are not high achievers tend to
see those who are as being lucky.

uu

è. The 19è s saw the advent of the theory that lack of achievement motivation---the lack
of a need to succeed---was at the root of failure in developing countries.

Read more: What Is Achievement Motivation Theory? |

eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/facts_è 9è
Œ_what -achievement-motivation-
theory.html#ixzz181FjbqzC

c
 
 


 
2




 

Researcher John Atkinson studied the psychology of motivation in the 19
s, building upon
the work of two other authors. Atkinson's achievement motivation theory took into account
fear of failure in avoidance of achievement activity.

X 
  

ë. Ôurt Lewin and David McClelland theorized that motivation can be oriented toward avoiding
failure or toward achieving success, and those are essential determinants of achievement
behavior.



u

0. 2uilding on their research, Atkinson theorized that people with a high need for achievement
anticipate success more than they do failure, in contrast to people who seem to have a low
need for achievement.

R  
 
  X

Œ. Atkinson discovered that those with a high need for achievement typically chose moderately
challenging tasks over easy or difficult ones.

X 
 
  X

Ñ. |n contrast, people with a fear of failure not only avoided moderately challenging tasks in
favor of very easy ones, they also chose very difficult tasks.

-



è. Atkinson theorized that the very difficult task choices by people with low achievement
motivation was their chance to explain away failure because the task was too hard for most
people to accomplish

Read more: What |s Atkinson's Achievement Motivation Theory? |

eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/facts_è ŒÑ

_atkinsons-achievement-motivation-
theory.html#ixzzëëÑ
ba