A Cross-Lagged Analysis of The Reciprocal Effects of Goal Orientation and Performance

Goal orientation has been widely studied as a relatively stable motivational antecedent of performance. Little is known about whether and how goal orientation changes over time and whether performance feedbacks to influence it. The current study fills this gap by studying the reciprocal, cross-lagged effects between the four dimensions of goal orientation (learning approach, learning avoidance, performance approach and performance avoidance) and performance. This longitudinal study on data collected from a sample of students who have been followed through their degree for three years, provides a thorough understanding of these effects over time. We tested the reciprocal effects of goal orientation and performance by fitting cross-lagged models. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.