Development and Analysis of a Measure of Children's Goal-setting: The Level of Aspiration Indicator

Abstract

The process of setting realistic goals to guide behavior is inextricably bound with children's perceptions of their self-worth. Unrealistic goals and poor self-perceptions influence strikingly the ability of children to learn and adjust in school. Thus, it is vital that educational diagnosticians, counselors, school psychologists, and teachers be able to assess children's goal-setting tendencies and self-perceptions as they affect school adjustment. Responding to this need and the dearth of practical scales to screen aspiration levels in young children, this study was designed to establish the reliability in young children, this study was designed to establish the reliability and validity of a goal-setting measure for children. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students (N= 84) were administered the Level of Aspiration indicator and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale concurrently. The subsequent results established the technical adequacy of the Level of Aspiration indicator as a screening instrument and further defined the self-concept/level of aspiration relationship as supporting evidence of construct validity. Applied implications for school psychologists, elementary counselors, and educational diagnosticians are discussed.