The Big Five and Achievement Motivation: Exploring the Relationship Between Personality and a Two-Factor Model of Motivation

The present study examined the relationship between the Big Five and a two-factor model of achievement motivation. Participants (N = 777) completed the Big Five Inventory (John & Srivastava, 1999) and a multidimensional achievement motivation scale (Cassidy & Lynn, 1989). Correlation and multiple regression analyses disclosed relations among the Big Five and achievement motivation. Conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion were positively associated with intrinsic achievement motivation, whereas extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism were positively related to extrinsic achievement motivation. Agreeableness was also found to be negatively associated with extrinsic achievement motivation. Conscientiousness was anomalous in that it was positively related to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Results suggest that both forms of motivation may be more complex than originally expected.