| Abstract: | An earlier study of main effects of achievement motives on performance amongst boy wrestlers was repeated with girls. The 1970 Achievement Motives Scale of Gjesme and Nygård was administered to 29 girls, and subjects' scores were sampled for three different wrestling championships at a national level. Oxygen uptake, speed of movement, four muscular strength exercises, and serial performance of five wrestling holds were measured. As with males, success-oriented females performed better than indifferent-oriented subjects in wrestling championships. The former group performed also better than the latter in pull-ups, sit-ups, forward throw and 1/4 Nelson. In addition, success-oriented females performed better than those who were failure-oriented in pull-ups and sit-ups, although this was not the case in other tasks and championships. Indications of sex differences in the relationship between motivation and performance were found among subjects who aim for achievement and, at the same time, have a high motive for failure, i.e. those who were conflict-oriented. Motive patterns and sex influence some, but not all, of the responses measured in the different tasks. Suggestions for future systematic research on a task effect are discussed. In general, the data indicate that, among highly selected and high ability boys and girls who set a high value on goals of an activity, relationships between achievement motives and performance in that activity should emerge for both sexes. In addition, sex should modify motive-performance relationships. |
