Culturalizing Achievement Goal Theory and Research

Abstract

This article is primarily designed to provide a cultural analysis of the literature on achievement goals. First, an overview of the four dominant approaches to the study of culture—namely, cross-cultural psychology, cultural psychology, indigenous psychology, and psychological anthropology—is offered. Second, we analyze the extant body of research on achievement goals according to the three metatheoretical orientations of absolutism, relativism, and universalism and argue that cultural research on motivation should adopt a universalist approach as it is most consistent with a motivational science perspective. Finally, we conclude with concrete recommendations for how future research on culture and motivation should proceed in light of a universalistic perspective.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The first author has greatly benefited from many conversations on the topic of culture and motivation, over many years, with numerous colleagues and collaborators. To the extent that the ideas presented herein were shaped profoundly by their wisdom and guidance, she gratefully acknowledges Marty Maehr, as well as the late Paul Pintrich and Harold Stevenson. She is also grateful to Veronica Benet-Martinez, Kai Cortina, Avi Kaplan, Stuart Karabenick, Toni Kempler-Rogat, Revathy Kumar, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, and Mike Middleton. The authors also thank Fran Blumberg, the editor, and two anonymous reviewers for extremely helpful comments on a previous draft. The authors take full responsibility for any inaccuracies presented in this article.