title: Goal orientation and self-efficacy in relation to memory in adulthood.
abstract: The achievement goal framework (Dweck, 1986, American Psychologist, 41, 1040) has been well-established in children and college-students, but has rarely been examined empirically with older adults. The current study, including younger and older adults, examined the effects of memory self-efficacy, learning goals (focusing on skill mastery over time) and performance goals (focusing on performance outcome evaluations) on memory performance. Questionnaires measured memory self-efficacy and general orientation toward learning and performance goals; free and cued recall was assessed in a subsequent telephone interview. As expected, age was negatively related and education was positively related to memory self-efficacy, and memory self-efficacy was positively related to memory, in a structural equation model. Age was also negatively related to memory performance. Results supported the positive impact of learning goals and the negative impact of performance goals on memory self-efficacy. There was no significant direct effect of learning or performance goals on memory performance; their impact occurred via their effect on memory self-efficacy. The present study supports past research suggesting that learning goals are beneficial, and performance goals are maladaptive, for self-efficacy and learning, and validates the achievement goal framework in a sample including older adults.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. clh1230@ufl.edu
authors: Erin C
authors: EC
authors: Hastings
authors: Robin L
authors: RL
authors: West
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011581:Psychological Tests; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult