Measuring Mindsets and Achievement Goal Motivation: A Validation Study of Three Instruments.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the validity of scores from three instruments measuring achievement goal motivation-related constructs: a shortened version of Dweck's Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS-S), measuring incremental and entity mindsets; Elliot's Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R), measuring mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance achievement goals; and Midgley's Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS), measuring mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance achievement goals.

METHOD: High school students participating in a medical simulation training activity in May 2017 completed each instrument. The authors evaluated internal structure using reliability and factor analysis and relations with other variables using the multitrait-multimethod matrix.

RESULTS: There were 178 participants. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha) was > 0.70 for all subscores. Confirmatory factor analysis of ITIS-S scores demonstrated good model fit. Confirmatory factor analysis of AGQ-R scores demonstrated borderline fit; exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-domain model (approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-avoidance). Confirmatory factor analysis of PALS scores also demonstrated borderline fit; exploratory factor analyses suggested consistent distinction between mastery and performance goals but inconsistent distinction between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals. Correlations among AGQ-R and PALS scores were large for mastery (r = 0.72) and moderate for performance (≥ 0.45) domains; correlations among incremental and mastery scores were moderate (≥ 0.34). Contrary to expectations, correlations between entity and performance scores were negligible. Correlations between conceptually unrelated domains were small or negligible.

CONCLUSIONS: All instrument scores had good internal consistency and generally appropriate relations with other variables, but empirically determined domain structures did not consistently match theory.