AMP Manual Chapter 1

Achievement Motivation Profile (AMP) Manual

Achievement Motivation Profile

Harvey P. Mandel, Ph.D., Jotham G. Friedland, Ph.D., and Sander I. Marcus, Ph.D.

(AMP) Manual Harvey P. Mandel, Ph.D., Jotham G. Friedland, Ph.D., and Sander I. Marcus, Ph.D.

Western Psychological Services • 12031 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90025-1251 Additional copies of this manual (W-299B) may be purchased from WPS. Please contact us at 800-648-8857, Fax 310-478-7838, or www.wpspublish.com. W-299B

1 Introduction ent form consists of 140 brief, self-descriptive statements. For each statement, the student is asked to agree or disagree on a 5-point modified Likert scale (1 = Always True, 2 = Mostly True, 3 = Sometimes True and Sometimes False, 4 = Mostly False, and 5 = Always False). Scoring of the test yields three validity measures: an Inconsistent Responding measure, and measures of Self-Enhancing and Self-Critical response styles. Scale scores are obtained in four areas: The Motivation for Achievement scale scores include Achiever, Motivation, Competitiveness, and Goal Orientation; the Inner Resources scale scores include Relaxed Style, Happiness, Patience, and Self-Confidence; the Interpersonal Strengths scale scores include Assertiveness, Personal Diplomacy, Extroversion, and Cooperativeness; and the Work Habits scale scores include Planning & Organization, Initiative, and Team Player. A descriptive summary of the scores provided by the AMP is presented in Table 1. Career Interest scores can also be obtained, although this is not a primary focus of the AMP. The AMP can be administered interactively on a personal computer or in a paper-and-pencil format. It can be scored by hand or by computer. When the AMP is scored by computer, an interpretive report is provided with the scores, which includes an expert discussion of each scale result, an integration of the meaning of scale combinations, and a series of recommendations derived from the AMP profile. The “Computer Services for the AMP” section at the back of this Manual provides details about the computerized AMP assessment, including a sample profile and interpretive report.

The Achievement Motivation Profile (AMP) is an objectively scored, self-report assessment tool designed to be a measure of a student’s motivation to achieve, along with related personality characteristics, interpersonal attributes, work style, and other qualities important for school success. The AMP is based on a theory of personality development (Roth, Berenbaum, & Hershenson, 1967) that provides a framework for assessing achievement and motivation. This framework, derived from the work of Erik Erikson (1963) and elaborated by Mandel and Marcus (1988), is based on the assumption that achievement and motivation are determined by many factors that interact to produce desired or less than desired performance. These factors affect performance for students in the academic setting, and strongly influence adult work performance as well (Friedland, Marcus, & Mandel, 1995). The AMP is unique in many ways. It is designed specifically to measure motivation, and has significant correlations with objective measures of achievement in school. Also, the AMP utilizes a 5-point, Likert-type response scale, making it possible to obtain a more refined self-description of personality than measures that use a true-false response format. Students report that the AMP is easy to take and provides a more accurate self-picture than many other personality tests. The AMP incorporates contemporary language, topical test items, and a wide range of self-descriptive statements that enable students to describe themselves accurately and rapidly. Another unique aspect of the AMP is that it measures specific factors that can enhance or diminish achievement, such as work habits, intrapsychic resources, and interpersonal characteristics. The AMP profile reflects a student’s strengths and liabilities with respect to achievement and motivation in terms of these factors, and thus is interpreted in the context of a student’s unique situation. Finally, the AMP has career interest measures that correspond to major career constellations in order to help identify the general areas where a student might be most motivated to achieve.

Principles of Use The AMP is designed for use with students ages 14 and older in high school, junior college, and college settings. Norms are presented in this Manual for students from both the United States and Canada (N = 1,738). The AMP should be used by psychologists, by other professionals in mental health, education, or counseling, or by trained students under their direct supervision. The test must be used in accordance with appropriate legal and ethical principles, as outlined by the American Psychological Association (1985, 1992) and in local statutes. The test and its results should be used only within the scope of the test administrator’s area of

General Description The AMP was initially developed in 1982 to fill the need for a multidimensional personality test specifically designed for educational and industrial evaluations. The pres3

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Achievement Motivation Profile (AMP)

professional expertise. To be properly used, test results should be combined with other independent sources of data and should never be the sole source of information, especially for important decisions such as academic remediation. Test administrators should take any steps necessary to safeguard the confidentiality of a student’s results, and should ensure that anyone who has access to the results is knowledgeable and competent to interpret and understand them.

Manual Contents This Manual is presented in two parts that include information pertinent to the use of the AMP. Part I of the

Manual is the Administration and Scoring Guide, which contains this introductory chapter and chapters 2 and 3: Chapter 2 provides a description of AMP administration and scoring procedures, and chapter 3 contains guidance for interpreting the AMP, including descriptions of the meaning of each AMP scale, scale cluster interpretations, and case examples of how AMP results can be incorporated into an overall assessment. Part II of the Manual is the Technical Guide, which includes chapters 4 and 5: Chapter 4 reviews the history of the development of the AMP, including item selection, scale development, and standardization; chapter 5 addresses reliability, validity, and other relevant statistical findings.

Table 1 Achievement Motivation Profile Scores Response Style Inconsistent Responding (INC) Haphazard responding or highly inconsistent self-description Self-Enhancing (ENH) Positive self-description; presenting oneself as having positive characteristics Self-Critical (CRT) Negative self-description; presenting oneself in a self-deprecating manner Motivation for Achievement Achiever (ACH) Achievement and task completion; achievement of specific goals; follow-through Motivation (MOT) Inner commitment to achieve; strength of inner emotions, needs, and values; inner drive Competitiveness (COMP) Need to win, to perform better than others, or to surpass standards of achievement or performance Goal Orientation (GOAL) Having clear goals and objectives Inner Resources Relaxed Style (RLX) Free of tension; unworried; relaxed Happiness (HAP) Level of general satisfaction and sense of well-being Patience (PAT) Patience in task completion and in handling frustration or conflict Self-Confidence (SCN) Self-assurance and confidence in self Interpersonal Strengths Assertiveness (AST) Directness in expressing oneself and in dealing with others Personal Diplomacy (DIPL) Tact and diplomacy in dealing with others; sensitivity to the feelings and ideas of others Extroversion (EXT) Socially outgoing Cooperativeness (COOP) Comfort in working closely with others or in taking the lead from others Work Habits Planning & Organization (PLAN) Using time-management, scheduling, and other work habits and planning strategies to achieve goals Initiative (INI) Comfort in taking independent action Team Player (TEAM) Comfort in working together as part of team or interdependent work group Note. Informal scores may also be obtained for Career Interest Areas. These provide a rough gauge of a student’s interest in Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional occupational activities.

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