Slope of Gradients for Performance as a Function of Achievement Motive, Goal Distance in Time, and Future Time Orientation

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Abstract
It was predicted that (a) individuals high in motivation to approach success and low in motivation to avoid failure (approach-oriented) would increase their performance and (b) those with the opposite motivation constellation (avoidance-oriented) would decrease their amount of performance as a distant future achievement task (goal) approached in time. Further, it was assumed that individuals high in future time orientation (FTO) would perceive a distant future event (goal) as nearer in time than those who are low in FTO. This implies the hypotheses that (c) the slope of the positive goal gradient is steeper for those of the approach-oriented individuals who are low in FTO as compared with those who are high in FTO, and (d) the slope of the negative goal gradient is steeper for those of the avoidance-oriented individuals who are low in FTO as compared with those who are high in FTO. The results, based on 379 boys and girls (about 12 years old), supported hypotheses a and d, and left also some indications that supported hypotheses b and c.