Psychological Development and Education ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 525-535.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2026.04.07

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Weakening Social Support and the Tendency to Avoid Failure: Intergenerational Changes of Achievement Motivation among Chinese College Students

YANG Ming1, XIN Sufei2, XIN Ziqiang1   

  1. 1. Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872;
    2. College of Education, Ludong University, Yantai 264025
  • Published:2026-07-04

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Abstract: College students, as the main force in future societal construction, represent a unique social group whose levels of achievement motivation can significantly impact the development of society. Previous research has primarily focused on the micro-level relationships between achievement motivation and other psychological variables, with limited attention to its changing trends and macro-level influencing factors. This study conducts a cross-temporal meta-analysis of research using the Achievement Motivation Scale from 2000 to 2022 to examine the trend in achievement motivation level among college students and its relationship with social support. The results indicate that: (1) The achievement motivation level of Chinese college students has shown a decreasing trend over the years, with the level of avoidance of failure increasing; (2) The decline in social support during societal development significantly and positively predicts the rising trend of failure-avoidance motivation.

Key words: achievement motivation, failure-avoidance motivation, social support, scarcity theory, cross-temporal meta-analysis

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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