Stability of Individuals' Definitions of Success and the Influence of Perceived Motivational Climate: A Longitudinal Perspective

Christina G L Nerstad; Robert Buch; Anders Dysvik; Reidar Säfvenbom

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01326

Stability of Individuals' Definitions of Success and the Influence of Perceived Motivational Climate: A Longitudinal Perspective

Front Psychol. 2020 Jun 11:11:1326. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01326. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Christina G L Nerstad^{1

2}, Robert Buch^{1

3}, Anders Dysvik², Reidar Säfvenbom⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Business School, OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
² Department of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway.
³ School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing, Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Department of Physical Education, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the stability and malleability of cadets' definitions of success (mastery and performance goal orientations) contextualized within a certain motivational climate (mastery and performance climates). Based on data from three military academies, the results revealed that cadets' goal orientations and their perceptions of the motivational climate remained relatively stable throughout the 2 years of study across three time-points. We also found that a mastery climate predicted individual mastery orientation, and that a performance climate predicted individual performance orientation. These findings contribute to achievement goal theory by clarifying the importance of considering goal orientation contextualized within a certain motivational climate over time. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Keywords: cadets; goal orientation; longitudinal design; perceived motivational climate; stability.