Mastery Goals
Updated 2026-08-08
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A goal orientation within achievement goal theory, developed by Carol Dweck, Elaine Elliott, and John Nicholls in the 1980s. Mastery goals direct attention toward developing competence, improving skill, and understanding the task itself, in contrast to performance goals, which direct attention toward demonstrating ability relative to others. Mastery orientation predicts deeper processing strategies, greater persistence after difficulty, more help-seeking, and more positive affect. It is treated as the more adaptive of the two orientations, especially for complex learning.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Set goals: phrase targets as skills you will be able to perform rather than ranks you will beat - Interpret setbacks: attribute failure to a strategy that can be adjusted rather than to fixed ability - Give feedback: praise the process and the adjustment, not the talent
Anchor fast decisions
When the goal is improvement, difficulty carries information about what to fix, so setbacks are informative rather than threatening. Attention stays on the task instead of on self-image, which frees working memory for deep processing and makes asking for help cheap. Repeated improvement then reinforces the orientation, producing a self-sustaining cycle of engagement and skill growth.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_orientationverified
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