Achievement Motivation and Self Concept in Two Cultures

This study examined the influence of cultural variability on achievement motivation and its relationship to self-concept.Both a semantic differential measure of Actual-Ideal self and a TAT measure of need for achievement (nAch) were administered to American and Indian male students at a college in Detroit.A correlational analysis of the Actual-Self items revealed that high nAch Americans tended to perceive themselves as being "competitive" and "happy", while high nAch Indians see themselves as being "fast" (quick?) and somewhat "kind" individuals.The Ideal-Self ratings showed that high nAch individuals in both cultures wished to be more "competitive" and "successfuL" Furthermore, high nAch Indians wished to be more "kind", "hon'est", and "strong" (i.e., self-reliant?), while their American counterparts wished to be less "honest", "kind", and "good."These results are interpreted within the perspective of cultural values, socialization practices, and the resultant interpersonal relations sanctioned in the two cultures.