Fear of failure: a polynomial regression analysis of the joint impact of the perceived learning environment and personal achievement goal orientation

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptives, correlations, and reliability estimates of all the variables in the study.

		M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1.	Age	18.70	1.05
2.	Gender			−.11*
3.	Mastery-approach GO	3.88	.52	.01	−.01	(.77)
4.	Mastery-avoidance GO	2.49	.75	−.02	.05	−.24**	(.80)
5.	Performance-approach GO	2.80	.85	−.03	−.11*	.06	.41**	(.79)
6.	Performance-avoidance GO	2.88	.83	−.07	.16**	−.13*	.47**	.24**	(.71)
7.	Perceived institutional performance-oriented learning environment	3.41	.83	.01	−.04	.03	.28**	.36**	.24**	(.79)
8.	Fear of failure	2.79	.90	−.06	.17**	−.11	.53**	.37**	.43**	.23***	(.86)

Note N varies between 329 and 351, Gender is coded as 0 = male, 1 = female.

**p < .01, *p < .05.

Table 2. Model fit of RSA models and their goodness-of-fit indicators.

	Model	k	AICc	ΔAICc	Model Weight	Evidence Ratio	CFI	R^2 adjusted	P model
Mastery-avoidance × Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	SRSQD	5	4563.57	0.00	0.31	NA	1.00	.31	<.001
	Additive	4	4564.02	0.45	0.24	1.25	1.00	.31	<.001
	IA	5	4564.42	0.85	0.20	1.53	1.00	.31	<.001
Performance-approach × Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	Additive	4	4956.29	0.00	0.36	NA	1.00	.16	<.001
	IA	5	4957.95	1.66	0.16	2.30	1.00	.16	<.001
	SSQD	5	4958.31	1.93	0.14	2.62	1.00	.16	<.001
Performance- avoidance × Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	Additive	4	4765.79	0.00	0.36	NA	1.00	.21	<.001
	SRSQD	5	4766.69	0.91	0.23	1.57	1.00	.21	<.001
	IA	5	4767.33	1.54	0.16	2.16	1.00	.21	<.001
Mastery-approach × Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	SSQD	4	3884.71	0.00	0.38	NA	1.00	.07	<.001
	SRR	5	3886.45	1.73	0.16	2.38	1.00	.06	<.001
	SRSQD	5	3886.48	1.77	0.16	2.42	1.00	.06	<.001

Note. The order of the different set of models for each set of analysis is based on the model fit. Selected models are portrayed in bold; K = number of parameters; AICc = corrected Akaike Information Criterion; CFI = Comparative fit index; R2 = variance explained of the model; p model = p value for explained variance of the model. Model abbreviations: additive = X + Y, Model with two linear main effects; IA = X + Y + XY, Moderated regression; SSQD, Shifted Squared Shifted Difference model; SRSQD, Shifted and Rotated Squared Differences model; SRR, Shifted Rising Ridge model; SRRR, Shifted ad Rotated Rising Ridge model.

Figure 1. Response surface plots portraying the joint effects on Fear of Failure of (A) personal mastery-approach goal orientation and the perceived institutional performance-oriented learning environment (Performance-oriented LE), (B) personal mastery-avoidance goal orientation and the perceived institutional performance-oriented learning environment, (C) personal performance-approach goal orientation and the perceived institutional performance-oriented learning environment, and (D) personal performance-avoidance goal orientation and the perceived institutional performance-oriented learning environment.

Table 3. Polynomial regression coefficients and response surface analysis coefficients.

	B					Along LOC		Along LOIC
						Match hypothesis		Mismatch hypothesis
	b1	b2	b3	b4	b5	a1	a2	a 3	a 4
						Linear		Curvilinear
Mastery-avoidance x Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	0.66***	0.22***	0.07*	0.04*	0.01	0.89***	0.12*	0.44***	0.03
Performance-approach x Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	0.37***	0.19***	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.56***	0.00	0.17	0.00
Performance- avoidance x Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	0.45***	0.18**	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.63***	0.00	0.27	0.00
Mastery-approach x Perceived Institutional performance-oriented learning environment	−0.31***	0.31***	0.06	−0.11	0.06	0.00	0.00	−0.63***	0.22

Note b₁ is beta coefficient for the personal goal, b₂ is beta coefficient for the learning environment; b₃ is beta coefficient for personal goal²; b₄ is beta coefficient for the cross-product of the personal goal and the learning environment; b₅ is beta coefficient for learning environment²; a₁ = the slope on the Line of Congruence, a₂= the curve on the Line of Congruence; a₃= the slope on the line of Incongruence; a₄= the curve on the Line of Incongruence.

Significance *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001.