ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION AND RISK PREFERENCE

Determined relationships among 8 measures of the need for achievement (n Ach) and 12 measures of risk preference, and empirically tested the J. W. Atkinson (see 33:2) risk-taking model involving relationships between the measures. 198 undergraduate males were administered a battery of measures over a 4-wk period. Analysis of the data revealed: (1) low nonsignificant correlations among n Ach measures, (2) extremely poor reliability (both internal consistency and test-retest) for traditional n Arch measures, (3) low convergence across risk preferences in a variety of contexts, and (4) confirmation of the Atkinson model only for risk preferences in vocational choices. Factor analyses of both n Ach and risk-preferences measures provided evidence of the multidimensional nature of these constructs. Results indicate that the several n Ach indexes do not measure the same thing and must not be used interchangeably. (2 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.