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Development of the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2016

Jacqueline Doherty-Bigara  and
Linda Gilmore
Jacqueline Doherty-Bigara
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Linda Gilmore*
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Linda Gilmore, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove QLD 4059. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Mastery motivation is an important developmental construct that has implications for development across the lifespan. Research to date has focused predominantly on infants and children, with the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ) being the most widely used measure of mastery motivation. This article reports on the development and initial validation of an adult measure: the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DAMMQ). Six hundred and twenty-eight adults (68% female) aged from 18 to 90 years completed the questionnaire. Factor analysis produced 24 items that represented five factors: task persistence, preference for challenge, task-related pleasure, task absorption, and self-efficacy. The DAMMQ was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability and concurrent validity. Within group differences for age, gender and education are reported. The development of the DAMMQ paves the way for future research about mastery motivation in adult populations.

Keywords

mastery motivationadultquestionnaireDAMMQ
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , December 2015 , pp. 142 - 157
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2016 

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