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Achievement Motivation – Denver Youth Survey
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About Achievement Motivation – Denver Youth Survey
Scale Name
Achievement Motivation – Denver Youth Survey
Author Details
Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado (1990)
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Achievement Motivation scale, part of the Denver Youth Survey, developed by the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado in 1990, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure motivation to achieve future outcomes associated with job, family, and community among African-American males aged 12-16. The Denver Youth Survey, a longitudinal study focused on urban youth in high-risk neighborhoods, examined developmental pathways related to delinquency, substance use, and prosocial behaviors. The Achievement Motivation subscale specifically assesses aspirations and drive toward success in occupational, familial, and community roles, aligning with motivational theories like expectancy-value theory and achievement motivation theory (e.g., McClelland, 1961; Eccles, 1983). It reflects the belief that strong motivation can serve as a protective factor against risk behaviors in disadvantaged contexts.
The scale comprises items (exact number not specified, but typically 6-10 based on similar measures) rated on a Likert-type scale (e.g., 1 = “strongly disagree” to 4 or 5 = “strongly agree”), assessing goals such as pursuing a good job, supporting a family, or contributing to the community (e.g., “I want to have a job that makes a difference in my community”). Higher scores indicate greater motivation to achieve these outcomes. Validated in urban African-American male adolescents, the scale is used to explore how motivational beliefs influence academic engagement, career aspirations, and resilience in the face of socioeconomic challenges.
Psychologists, educators, and public health researchers use the Achievement Motivation scale to identify protective factors, evaluate youth development programs, and study the impact of motivation on reducing delinquency and fostering positive outcomes. Its good internal consistency and cultural specificity enhance its utility in targeted research, though its English-only availability, specific demographic focus, and unpublished status may limit accessibility and broader application.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the Achievement Motivation scale from authorized sources, such as the Institute of Behavioral Science or Dahlberg et al. (2005) Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths (2nd ed.), ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses their goals for jobs, family, and community to support personal growth, emphasizing confidentiality and using culturally sensitive, age-appropriate language.
- Provide instructions, asking respondents to rate each item based on their agreement with statements about their future aspirations, using the Likert scale.
- Approximate time for completion is 3-5 minutes, depending on the number of items and respondents’ reading ability.
- Administer in a classroom, community center, or research setting, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment to promote honest responses. Oral administration may be used for students with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Achievement Motivation scale demonstrates good psychometric properties, as reported in Dahlberg et al. (2005). Internal consistency is solid, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78, indicating reliable item cohesion for a brief subscale, suitable for research with adolescent populations. Test-retest reliability is not reported, but stability is inferred to be moderate based on similar motivational measures (e.g., r ≈ 0.60-0.80 over weeks).
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as academic self-efficacy, career aspirations, and prosocial behaviors (r ≈ 0.30-0.50), and its alignment with findings that motivation reduces engagement in delinquency among African-American youth, consistent with resilience research (e.g., Nebbitt, 2009). Discriminant validity is inferred from weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, such as unrelated social attitudes (r < 0.30). Criterion validity is demonstrated by its ability to predict positive outcomes, such as school engagement and lower substance use, in urban African-American males, as noted in Denver Youth Survey analyses. Factor analyses are not detailed, but the scale’s focus on job, family, and community aspirations supports construct validity. The good reliability supports its use in research, though it should be paired with other measures for comprehensive assessments.
Available Versions
13-Items
Reference
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., & Behrens, C. B. (Eds.). (1998). Measuring violence-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for disease control and prevention.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Achievement Motivation scale measure?
It measures motivation to achieve future outcomes in job, family, and community roles.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, educators, and researchers studying African-American male youth.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 3-5 minutes.
Is the scale specific to African-American males?
Yes, it targets males aged 12-16 in urban settings.
Can the scale inform youth programs?
Yes, it identifies motivational strengths for interventions, with good reliability.
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