The Relation Between Junior High Students' Achievement Goal,social Comparison And Academic Self-efficacy

Achievement goal theory which regards to motivation research was an important social cognitive theory in the field of psychology. Since this theory has been proposed in the 1980s, achievement goal is considered a very important motivation factor which constraints individual expectations, reflects their attitudes toward and affects to learning motive. It is also an important non-intellectual factor affecting students learning. Social comparison is psychological phenomenon in our life of human and it can be divided into upward comparison and downward comparison. Academic self-efficacy which is an important cognitive factor is the concrete manifestation of self-efficacy in learning field. Academic self-efficacy makes positive impact on achievement behavior. In this study, the author explore the relationship between achievement goal,social comparison and academic self-efficacy. It will help students to compare actively and to improve students'self-efficacy. Therefore, this study has important theoretical and practical significance.This research adopts the achievement goal meter, the society to compare the meter and the studies self-potency feeling meter, to carry on the questionnaire survey, taking 724 junior school students in 4 middle schools form Xiangtan, Loudi and Liling three areas 4 middle school's as example. It discusses the following four aspects of questions:(1) the characteristic of junior school students'achievement goal development; (2) the type of junior school students'achievement goal; (3) the relation of achievement goal, social comparison and self-efficacy; (4) Social Comparison has the intermediary function to achievement goal and academic self-efficacy.The data analysis result show that:(1) There have significant gender differences in mastery-performance avoids goals of middle school students; there are significant differences in grade in mastery-performance approach goals; in control near the target there are significant differences in grade; in control close to the target closer to the goals and accomplishments, there was significant difference between rural and urban sources in mastery-performance approach goals and academic approach goals.(2) Achievement goals of Junior high school students can be divided into six different types including multi-target, high-control approach target, high-master avoids goal, high-performance approach target, high-performance avoids goal and low- achievement goal; there are significant differences between social comparison, academic self-efficacy and the type of achievement goals.(3) Mastery-performance approach goals, mastery-performance avoids-goals, academic approach goals, academic avoid achievement goals, upward comparison, downward comparison, academic ability self-efficacy are significantly correlated with academic behavior self-efficacy; it proves that there are close relationship between performance goal, Social Comparison and academic self-efficacy.(4) Social comparison has the intermediary function to achievement goal and academic self-efficacy; upward comparison has the intermediary function to mastery-performance approach goals, academic approach goals and academic ability self-efficacy; downward comparison has the intermediary function to mastery- performance approach goals, academic avoid achievement goals and academic behavior self-efficacy.