The theory of achievement motivation revisited: The implications of inertial tendencies.

The basic: theory of achievement motivation as developed by Atkinson is reviewed, and lhe implications of the incrliaUcndcncy postulate are examined. The classic theory of achievement motivation is found to be a special case of a more general theory relating lask difficulty and number of trials to performance. II is shown that the inertial-temlcncy postulate implies an asymmetric, curvilinear relationship between lask difficulty and effort, and that the degree of asymmetry is a function of the number of experimental trials and the consummatory value of failure. Experimental evidence previously viewed as contradicting the classic theory of achievement motivation is shown to be compatible with the general theory and to allow for estimation of the consummatory value of failure. Several predictions that allow for a direct test of the iiierlial-tcndency postulate are derived. The general theory of achievement motivation is suggested to be relevant to other theories concerned with the effects of success and failure on performance.