Process vs. Impact in Men's and Women's Achievement Motivation

The author presents a new taxonomy of six achievement motivation types, with the categories based on an interaction between two factors: (a) whether the individual emphasizes the process of achieving or the impact of the accomplishment itself; and (b) whether the person derives his standards of excellence from within himself, from some social reference, or from an impersonal task demand. The hypothesis is proposed that females in American society have been taught to emphasize the process of their achievement strivings and males the impact of their achievement attempts. Empirical evidence is given to support this hypothesis and to elucidate the six types of achievement motivation.