Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS)

Abstract

The Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS), developed by Patricia O’Connor in 1962, is a specialized paired-comparison test designed to quantify the balance between two fundamental forces within an individual: the motive to achieve success ($M_s$) and the motive to avoid failure ($M_{af}$). This instrument is deeply rooted in John W. Atkinson’s 1957 theory of achievement motivation, which posits that resultant motivation is a dynamic outcome of these competing drives.

The ARPS differentiates between high- and low-resultant achievement motivated individuals. Those high in resultant achievement motivation typically prefer tasks of intermediate difficulty, viewing them as success-oriented challenges. Conversely, individuals low in resultant motivation are primarily focused on failure avoidance and tend to select tasks that are either extremely easy (guaranteeing success) or extremely difficult (where failure carries minimal shame). The scale items are structured to capture key psychological dimensions, including affective responses (hope versus fear), behavioral orientation (approach versus avoidance), and the selection of tasks based on their perceived level of difficulty (easy, intermediate, or hard) within achievement contexts.

Keywords

Achievement Risk-Preference Scale, Failure, Success, Test Development, Motivation to Achieve, Paired-Comparison Test, Risk Assessment, Achievement Motivation Theory.

Authors

Patricia O’Connor, American Psychological Association (Institutional Author).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Achievement Risk-Preference Scale is to provide an empirical evaluation of an individual’s intrinsic drive regarding achievement. Specifically, it seeks to measure the relative strength of the psychological tendency to approach success compared to the tendency to avoid failure.

By assessing this internal risk-preference, the scale helps researchers and practitioners understand how individuals select tasks, persist in the face of obstacles, and react emotionally to potential success or failure, consistent with predictions derived from Atkinson’s expectancy-value model of achievement striving.

Construct

The ARPS measures two intertwined psychological dimensions that form a single, resultant psychological construct: the Motivation to Achieve Success ($M_s$) and the Motivation to Avoid Failure ($M_{af}$). The scale’s score represents the net motivational tendency resulting from the competition between these two motives.

This construct is crucial for predicting behavioral choices in situations where performance outcomes are evaluative, such as academic, athletic, or professional settings. The scale operationalizes these constructs by presenting respondents with achievement scenarios that vary in perceived difficulty and consequence, forcing a choice reflective of their underlying motivational bias.

Validity

Currently, specific, publicly documented data regarding the formal validity of the Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS) is not readily available in the referenced literature. The original publication, associated with the 1962 American Psychological Association Convention, focused primarily on the development and theoretical grounding of the instrument.

While the scale possesses strong theoretical or face validity due to its direct grounding in Atkinson’s well-established theory of achievement motivation, empirical evidence concerning criterion, concurrent, or construct validity was not reported in the primary source material. Further research or consultation with the institutional authors would be necessary to establish the scale’s psychometric properties fully.

Reliability

Similar to the validity data, specific information concerning the internal consistency (e.g., coefficient alpha) or test-retest reliability of the Achievement Risk-Preference Scale was not provided in the foundational documentation. Therefore, the reliability of the ARPS cannot be quantitatively determined based solely on the 1962 reference.

For applications requiring high measurement precision, researchers should conduct preliminary studies to establish the reliability of the scale within their specific target population before drawing definitive conclusions from ARPS scores.

Factor Analysis

Formal reports detailing the use of factor analytic techniques—such as Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) or Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)—to confirm the underlying dimensionality of the ARPS were not indicated in the source materials. The scale’s construction as a paired-comparison test aligns directly with the two-factor theoretical model ($M_s$ vs. $M_{af}$) proposed by Atkinson, suggesting the theoretical expectation of a structure reflecting these opposing drives.

Instrument

Test Type: Rating Scale; Paired-Comparison Test

Format: Multiple choice

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years & older)

Population Details: The scale features distinct versions based on gender: a 40-item version for males and a 50-item version for females, suggesting potential differences in achievement contexts or motivational structures were accounted for during its initial development.

Test Methodology: The scale uses a paper administration method and relies on the paired-comparison technique, requiring respondents to choose between two options that represent different levels of risk or difficulty, thereby revealing their underlying preference for the motive to achieve success over the motive to avoid failure.

Keywords

Achievement, Failure Avoidance, Success Orientation, Test Construction, Emotional States, Motivational Theory, Psychological Assessment, Risk-Taking Behavior.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified.

Affiliation Email addresses: Contact American Psychological Association (APA) for institutional details.

Correspondence Address: American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, US (Institutional Author).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The test was developed and first presented in 1962. Information regarding current permission requirements, licensing fees, or commercial availability of the scale items must be obtained by contacting the original author, Patricia O’Connor, or the institutional publisher, the American Psychological Association (APA).

The source documentation explicitly states that test items are not publicly available and that interested parties should contact the author or publisher for details on obtaining the instrument.

Reference’s

• American Psychological Association. (1962). Program of the seventieth Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association: August 30-September 5, 1962, St. Louis, Missouri. American Psychologist, 17(6), 295–408. The original reference is available via DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0044593
• Atkinson, J. W. (1957). Motivational determinants of risk-taking behavior. Psychological Review, 64(6, Pt. 1), 359–372.
• O’Connor, P. (1962). The Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS). Presented at the 70th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, St. Louis, MO.

Items of the Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The test items for the Achievement Risk-Preference Scale (ARPS) are not available in the source content provided. The source material instructs users to contact the author or publisher for more details on obtaining the test items.