Longitudinal tests on the influence of achievement goals on effort and intrinsic interest in the workplace.

This study investigates whether four types of achievement goals-mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance-influence effort and intrinsic interest at work. Cross-lagged panel analyses were applied to data from a two-wave survey conducted on 57 newly hired Japanese police officers. The results showed that performance-approach goals had significant positive influences on effort and intrinsic interest. In contrast, performance-avoidance goals had significant negative impacts on the abovementioned two outcome variables. Longitudinal effects were observed when the influence of competence expectancy was controlled. These results highlight the benefits of performance-approach goals and the costs associated with performance-avoidance goals in the workplace.

Two new glycosides from the whole plants of Glechoma hederacea L.

Two new glycosides, 7S,7'S,8R,8'R-icariol A(2)-9-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and 4-allyl-2-hydroxyphenyl 1-O-beta-D-apiosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), were isolated from the dried whole plants of Glechoma hederacea L. (Labiatae) together with four known compounds, cistanoside E (3), dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), apigenin 7-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (5) and luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral analysis.

[Perceptions of classroom goal structures, personal achievement goal orientations, and learning strategies].

We examined the relations among students' perceptions of classroom goal structures (mastery and performance goal structures), students' achievement goal orientations (mastery, performance, and work-avoidance goals), and learning strategies (deep processing, surface processing and self-handicapping strategies). Participants were 323 5th and 6th grade students in elementary schools. The results from structural equation modeling indicated that perceptions of classroom mastery goal structures were associated with students' mastery goal orientations, which were in turn related positively to the deep processing strategies and academic achievement. Perceptions of classroom performance goal stractures proved associated with work avoidance-goal orientations, which were positively related to the surface processing and self-handicapping strategies. Two types of goal structures had a positive relation with students' performance goal orientations, which had significant positive effects on academic achievement. The results of this study suggest that elementary school students' perceptions of mastery goal structures are related to adaptive patterns of learning more than perceptions of performance goal structures are. The role of perceptions of classroom goal structure in promoting students' goal orientations and learning strategies is discussed.

Task performance and metacognitive experiences in problem-solving.

The effects of task performance on metacognitive experiences and relations between task performance and metacognitive experiences in problem-solving were examined with 69 Japanese undergraduate students. The task was a puzzle called the cross breaker, consisting of seven pieces, and several figures were constructed by using those seven pieces. Eight types of metacognitive experiences, before and after performing the task, were rated. Participants were classified into Success and Failure groups based on their task performance. Use of all but two metacognitive experiences differed between the groups. There were medium to high positive and negative correlations for metacognitive experiences with performance after the puzzle task, whereas metacognitive experiences before the task generally had no significant correlations with performance. Despite small N, participants' metacognitive experiences seemed to reflect their actual performance, suggesting that people obtain information from their performance and use it to revise their metacognitive experiences. Furthermore, metacognitive experiences may help people solve similar problems in the future.

Achievement motives, cognitive and social competence, and achievement goals in the classroom.

This study investigated the interrelations of approach and avoidance achievement motives (Motive to Achieve Success and Motive to Avoid Failure), two types of competence (Cognitive and Social competence), achievement goals (Mastery, Performance-approach, Performance-avoidance, and Work Avoidance goals), of 131 eighth and ninth grade students from a Japanese junior high school. Multiple regression analysis indicated positive relations between Mastery goals and the Motive to Achieve Success and Cognitive Competence. Performance-approach goals and both the Motive to Achieve Success and the Motive to Avoid Failure, and Performance-avoidance Goals and both the Motive to Achieve Success and the Motive to Avoid Failure. Negative relations were found between Work Avoidance goals and the Motive to Achieve Success and Cognitive Competence. Several interactions between achievement motives and competence on achievement goals were also found. The different antecedents of four achievement goals were discussed.

An approach to the hierarchical model of motivation in a classroom: a reply to Rousseau and Vallerand.

Rousseau and Vallerand's comments on our recent article led to the present study of correlations between students' perception of teachers' attitudes, intrinsic-extrinsic motivation, and learning strategy with structural equation modeling. The analysis shows students' perception of teachers' attitudes influences the intrinsic-extrinsic motivation, which as mediator in turn affects students' learning strategies, and the paths were divided into two streams, one with more intrinsic attributes and the other with more extrinsic ones.