Effects of Specific Cue Content on Need for Achievement Scores

Based on the hypothesis that cue content of need for achievement tests can influence scores on these tests because of the cue's specific past associations for the Ss, a study was conducted with special cues and selected Ss to discover differences which might ordinarily be masked. The Ss were 14 male undergraduate swimmers and 14 male undergraduate musicians from the University of Michigan. They were given a French (1955) type need for achievement test. The results of the study indicate that cue content is important, but only under rather specific conditions. The implications of the findings for interpretation of n Ach scores in general are discussed.