Achievement motivation and locus of control of black university students

Abstract

The objective of the study was to research the dimensionality of achievement motivation and locus of control in black university students. The Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (Pottas, Erwee, Boshoff & Lessing, 1980) and the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966) were completed by 251 students. Three locus of control factors were extracted by means of principal factor analysis with varimax rotation, viz. Personal control, Political control, and Control over social relationships. The hypothesis that locus of control is a multi-dimensional construct was accepted. No significant sex differences occurred in the total scores obtained on the questionnaire. However, analyses of the subscales indicated that females seem to be more action-orientated, but believe that they can exert less control over political and world events than males. The hypothesis that locus of control and achievement motivation are two separate but interrelated constructs was supported.

Opsomming
Die doelwit van die studie was om die dimensionaliteit van swart studente se prestasiemotivering en lokus-van-kontrole na te vors. Die Prestasie-motiveringsvraelys (Pottas, Erwee, Boshoff en Lessing, 1980) en die Interne- Eksterne Lokus van Kontroleskaal (Rotter, 1966) is deur 251 studente voltooi. Drie lokus-van-kontrolefaktore, naamlik Persoonlike kontrole, Politieke kontrole en Kontrole oor interpersoonlike verhoudings, is deur middel van 'n hooffaktorontleding (met varimax-rotasie) onttrek. Die hipotese dat lokus-van- kontrole 'n multidimensionele konstruk is, is aanvaar. Geen beduidende geslagsverskille in die totaaltellings op die meetinstrumente het voorgekom nie. Analises van die subskale het egter aangetoon dat die vroue hulself as meer aksie-georienteerd beskou het, maar oortuig was dat hulle nie veel beheer oor politieke en wereldgebeure het nie. Die hipotese dat prestasiemotivering en lokus-van-kontrole twee afsonderlike maar verwante konstrukte is, is aanvaar.