Changes in self-esteem across the first year in college: the role of achievement goals

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the effects of achievement goals on the growth trajectories of self-esteem during the first-year at a comprehensive public university. College freshmen (N = 311) were followed for one academic year with three time points. Between-individual differences and within-individual change in achievement goals were distinguished and used as predictors for the growth trajectories of self-esteem. A growth curve analysis revealed that initially high mastery goals and subsequent increases in mastery goals were related to high self-esteem while initially high performance-avoidance goals were related to low self-esteem. The initial levels of performance-approach goals were not related to self-esteem but subsequent increases in performance-approach goals were associated with low self-esteem. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• achievement goals
• motivation
• self-esteem
• first-year college students
• transition to college
• growth curve analysis
• hierarchical linear modeling

Notes

1. It has been proposed that effects of performance-approach goals may depend on the subsequent performance (Dweck & Leggett, 1988). Thus, we conducted a supplemental analysis to investigate whether self-esteem declined only among those students who struggled academically. Students’ Fall Grade Point Averages (GPAs) drawn from the school record were available to examine this possibility. Due to the different number of data points available for the survey data (three time points across the academic year) and for GPAs (two time points, at the end of each semester), we could not examine this issue in the context of growth curve analysis. Thus, we conducted a multiple regression analysis with self-esteem at Time 2 as dependent variables. Then, we tested the effects of three types of goals, GPA, and the interaction between performance approach goals and GPA after controlling for self-esteem at the previous time point. In this analysis, mastery goals emerged as a strong positive predictor of self-esteem and the other two goals were not significant. Given that the interaction terms were not significant and the inclusion of GPA or the interaction terms did not affect the relations between achievement goals and self-esteem, we ruled out the possibility that the maladaptive effect of performance-approach goals on self-esteem was limited to those who experienced academic setback in the first year in college.