Moderating Effect of Achievement Motivation and Locus of Control on the Relationship Between Academic Ability and Academic Performance

Abstract

The relationship between ability and grade point average was examined for the moderating effects of achievement motivation and locus of control for 223 college students. When median splits in distributions of scores on measures of achievement motivation and internal-external locus of control were used, a significant difference was found between resulting high and low achievement motivation groups; no difference was present between high (internal) and low (external) locus of control groups. When the median splits were employed jointly, locus of control did not enhance the moderating effect of achievement motivation.