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Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS): Seeking Success vs. Avoiding Failure

Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS): Seeking Success vs. Avoiding Failure

Welcome to Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS): Seeking Success vs. Avoiding Failure

Instructions:

  • There is no time limit for this test. Please answer at your own pace.
  • This test consists of 15 questions in total.
  • The next question will appear automatically after you select an answer.
  • You can return to modify your answer using the "Previous" button.
  • All test results on this site are for reference only and do not constitute professional advice.

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Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS) | Seeking Success vs. Avoiding Failure

1. What Is Achievement Motivation?

Achievement Motivation is the inner drive that leads individuals to pursue work they consider important and valuable and to bring it to a perfect state. The psychologist Atkinson believed that achievement motivation consists of two entirely different psychological tendencies:

  • Tendency to seek success (Ms):Manifested as a craving for challenges and enjoyment of the sense of achievement after overcoming difficulties.
  • Tendency to avoid failure (Mf):Manifested as a fear of setbacks and a tendency to reduce the feeling of defeat by choosing extremely easy or extremely hard tasks.

2. About This Scale (Notes on the Adapted Version)

This scale is based on the Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS) developed by Gjesme and Nygard (1970) with localization and contextual adaptation. The original scale consists of 30 items; this version refines it into 15 representative situational items, aiming to use more everyday descriptions to help you quickly identify your true psychological state in competitive and challenging situations.

3. The Two Dimensions of the Assessment

  • The Drive dimension:It examines whether you are willing to take a bold shot without any guarantee, and how much you long to 'reach the top.'
  • The Defense dimension:It examines whether worry about others' judgments or the consequences of failure makes you shrink back, feel anxious, or hesitate.

4. Who Should Take This Test?

This test is especially suitable for people facing career transitions, major project evaluations, academic pressure, or those who feel 'ambitious but drained' at a turning point in life. By understanding your motivational tendencies, you can adjust your psychological expectations more precisely and optimize your decision-making patterns.