Temperament, personality and achievement goals among Chinese adolescent students

Abstract

Temperament and personality have been presumed to affect achievement goals based on the hierarchical model of achievement motivation. This research investigated the relationships of temperament dimensions and the Big Five personality traits to achievement goals based on the 2 × 2 achievement goal framework among 775 Chinese adolescent students. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 2 × 2 framework could be generalised to the Chinese context. Six of the nine temperament dimensions (e.g. activity level – general, flexibility–rigidity, and task orientation) significantly predicted mastery‐approach, mastery‐avoidance, performance‐approach and performance‐avoidance goals. Neuroticism, extroversion and conscientiousness significantly predicted all the above‐mentioned four achievement goals; openness and agreeableness significantly predicted the mastery‐orientated and performance‐oriented achievement goals, respectively. Compared with temperament, personality was the stronger predictor for achievement goals. These results supported the posited relationship of ‘hard‐wiring’ variables to achievement goals in the conceptual model of achievement motivation.

Keywords:

• temperament
• personality
• the Big Five
• achievement goals
• Chinese adolescents

Notes

1. Additional CFAs were also carried out to investigate the fit of alternative models and to compare the fit of all the six alternative models with the hypothesised four‐factor models (Elliot & McGregor, 2001; Elliot & Murayama, 2008). None of the alternative models fit the data well, and the Δχ ² difference tests indicated that the four‐factor model provided a better fit to the data.