Design intervention programs that reduce the links between achievement goals and internalizing problems¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 6 claims (6 for) · 1 study (1 quant-synthesis), q4 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 6 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The authors state that their findings "have implications for intervention programs that could focus on reducing the links between achievement goals and internalizing problems." Because mastery-approach goals showed small negative relations and performance-avoidance goals small positive relations with anxiety and depression, programs could target goal adoption patterns — fostering mastery-approach goals and reducing performance-avoidance goals — as one lever for lowering internalizing problems in educational settings.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Programs would need to measure and address learners' achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance) alongside internalizing symptoms.

Constraints¶

• The relations are correlational and small in magnitude; the article notes the relation is posited to be reciprocal, so causal intervention effects are not established by this meta-analysis.

Target Learners¶

• middle school, high school, and college students

Target Learning Goals¶

• reducing anxiety and depression symptoms through achievement goal framing

Affordances¶

• Goal Orientation Model Depression Vulnerability

Claims¶

• Mastery-approach goals are negatively related to anxiety (r = −.10) across 34 samples [+W]
• Mastery-approach goals are negatively related to depression (r = −.18) across 36 samples [+W]
• Mastery-avoidance goals are not significantly related to anxiety or depression [+W]
• The goal–internalizing relations are moderated by goal terminology, goal setting, education level, goal model, and cultural context [+W]
• Performance-approach goals are positively related to anxiety (r = .15) but not significantly related to depression (r = .05) [+W]
• Performance-avoidance goals are positively related to both anxiety (r = .25) and depression (r = .16) [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Design interventions that address mathematical and motivational/socioemotional dimensions concurrently

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Diaconu-Gherasim, L. R., Elliot, A. J., Zancu, A. S., Brumariu, L. E., Măirean, C., Opariuc-Dan, C., & Crumpei-Tanasă, I. (2024). A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Achievement Goals and Internalizing Problems. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09943-5