A Revised 10-Item Version of the Achievement Motives Scale

Abstract

The Achievement Motives Scale (AMS) is a well-established and frequently used scale to assess hope of success and fear of failure. In three studies with German-speaking samples ( N = 3523, N = 132, N = 126), the authors developed a revised form of the AMS using confirmatory factor analysis. As found in previous research, the original 30-item set of the AMS did not provide an acceptable fit to a two-factor model. In contrast, a revised 10-item version (AMS-R) provided an adequate fit to the theoretically intended two-factor model. The adequate fit could be validated in cross-validation procedures. Furthermore, the revised scales provided adequate reliability, lower interscale correlations, and criterion-related validity with respect to typical criteria of achievement-related behavior.