title: The role of working memory in achievement goal pursuit.
abstract: The present research examined the role of working memory in the pursuit of qualitatively different achievement goals. Pursuit of a mastery-approach goal entails a focus on developing self-referential competence while a performance-approach goal entails a focus on demonstrating normative competence. Across two experiments it was found that, when working memory is loaded, individuals pursuing a mastery-approach goal experienced larger performance decrements than individuals pursuing a performance-approach goal or those in a no-goal control. It was also found that reliance upon working memory intensive strategies (explicit strategies) was more evident for those in a mastery-approach condition, whereas reliance upon less working memory intensive strategies (implicit strategies) was more evident for those in the performance-approach condition. Results suggest that a motivated focus on developing self-referential skill relies heavily on working memory, facilitated by the use of deliberative, 'step-by-step' strategies during goal pursuit. Conversely, a focus on demonstrating normative skill depends less on working memory, facilitated by the use of more heuristic 'short-cut' strategies during goal pursuit. These findings show, for the first time, that working memory plays an important, but selective, role in achievement goal pursuit.
authors: University of Surrey, AD Building, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK. Electronic address: r.e.avery@surrey.ac.uk.
authors: Rachel E
authors: RE
authors: Avery
authors: Luke D
authors: LD
authors: Smillie
authors: Jan W
authors: JW
authors: de Fockert
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 2340 Cognitive Processes; 2343 Learning and Memory; 2360 Motivation and Emotion; Achievement goal; Mastery-approach; Motivational states; Performance-approach; Working memory