Measuring Need to Achieve by n Ach-n Aff Scale—A Forced-Choice Questionnaire

To measure the need to achieve (n Ach), a questionnaire was constructed which required the subject to make a forced choice on each of 30 pairs of adjectives. Half the adjectives were based on the Need for Achievement scale and the other half on the Need for Affiliation scale of Gough's Adjective Check List. When the questionnaire was scored in the n Ach direction, differences between sex and age groupings of college students were negligible and nonsignificant, but scores for males were positively and significantly correlated with grades on midterms and GPA, whereas correlations for female students were low, positive, and significant only at the 10% level. Bank tellers' n Ach scores correlated positively with supervisors' ratings and were significantly lower than those of college students. Expectant mothers were the lowest scoring group on n Ach, while male Chinese-speaking immigrants under 30 scored the highest. Results were considered to be consistent with previous research and with expectations based on common sense and everyday impressions.