Achievement Motivation in a Competitive Situation: A Comparison of Undergraduates, Younger Graduate Students and Older Female Graduate Students.

This study investigated whether older female graduate students who have experienced an interruption in their formal academic education will display greater achievement motivation when competing against a male than will younger graduate females or undergraduate females. The measure of achievement motivation was the percentage of incompleted tasks recalled minus the percentage of completed recalled (Zeigarnik Effect). Previous research shows a high Zeigarnik score corresponding to a heightened achievement motive. When placed in a competitive situation with a male, older female graduate students showed significantly higher Zeigarnik scores than did the other groups in similar competition. Results were discussed with reference to a developing achievement oriented personal identity in the older Ss. An alternative social-acceptance explanation was also considered. (Author)