Abstract: Previous studies showed that achievement motivation greatly affects how a person feels and behaves. Literature has focused mostly on subjective well-being, and only a few studies have centered on psychological well-being, especially on the important relationship between fulfilling what one needs and what goals one pursues. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of achievement motivation on the psychological well-being of college students. Using random sampling, 214 college students were recruited from 3 universities. All students were assessed by using the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) and Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS). The PWBS is made up of six subscales, namely, Autonomy (AU), Environmental Mastery (EM), Personal Growth (PG), Positive Relationships with Others (PR), Purpose in Life (PL), and Self-Acceptance (SA). The AMS consists of two subscales, which are motive to avoid failure and motive to pursue success. We investigated the relationships between achievement motivation with its two elements and psychological well-being (PWB) with its six elements. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance, independent-samples T test and relative importance analyses. As motive to avoid failure showed significantly negatively correlated with motive to pursue success, hierarchical regression analysis is not proper. Instead, we use relative importance analyses to determine relative importance of the two factors of achievement motivation (motive to avoid failure and motive to pursue success). Results showed that the main effect of the student category between junior college school and undergraduate students was significant (F=5.01, P< .05, η2= .02, 1－β= .606). The main effect of sex difference was not significant (F= .32, P= .08> .05), nor was the interaction between student category and sex difference (F=2.14, P= .14> .05). However, the PWB of undergraduates rated higher than that of junior college school students (t=2.08, P= .03< .05), especially in the three factors of PL (t=2.07, P= .03< .05), SA (t=2.00, P= .04< .05), and EM (t=2.31, P= .02< .05). Importantly, the score of achievement motivation was positively correlated with PWB (r= .55, P< .001) and the six factors (r= .42, .28, .49, .41, .49, .57; Ps< .001). Additionally, motive to avoid failure was negatively correlated with PWB (r=﹣.55，P< .001), and motive to pursue success was positively correlated with PWB (r= .31; P< .001). To determine the relative importance of the two factors of achievement motivation (motive to avoid failure and motive to pursue success) when predicting PWB and its six factors, we calculated their relative importance weights. Both motive to avoid failure and motive to pursue success could significantly predict PWB. However, the relative importance weights of motive to avoid failure (80%) were stronger than motive to pursue success (16.7%). The results suggested that when predicting PWB and its six factors, the relative importance of motive to avoid failure was stronger than motive to pursue success. In conclusion, our study showed that achievement motivation can predict psychological well-being and the relative importance of motive to avoid failure is stronger than motive to pursue success when predicting PWB and its six factors. This article, therefore, broadens what we know about well-being. 214 college students were recruited from 3 universities by random sampling. All the students were assessed with the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) and Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS). The Psychological Well-Being Scale is made up of six subscales: Autonomy (AU), Environmental Mastery (EM), Personal Growth (PG), Positive Relationships with Others (PR), Purpose in Life (PL), and Self-Acceptance (SA). And, the Achievement Motivation Scale consists of two subscales: motive to avoid failure and motive to pursue success. The relationship between achievement motivation and psychological well-being were investigated, including the subscales of the two questionnaires. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance, independent-samples T test and multiple regressions. For the purpose of excluding the weak influence of student category, we use hierarchical regression analysis. And at the same time, we use stepwise regression analysis in order to analyses the difference of the predictive value on psychological well-being (PWB) between motive to avoid failure and motive to success. Results showed that the main effect of student category between junior college school and undergraduate students was significant (F=5.01, P<0.05, η2=0.023, 1-β=0.606). The main effect of sex difference was not significantly (F=0.32, P=0.087>0,05), nor the interaction between student category and sex difference (F=2.14, P=0.145>0.05). But the psychological well-being (PWB) of undergraduates was scored higher than the junior college school students (t=2.08, P=0.039<0.05), especially in the three factors: Purpose in Life (PL) (t=2.07, P=0.039<0.05), Self-Acceptance (SA) (t=2.00, P=0.046<0.05) and Environmental Mastery (EM) (t=2.31, P=0.022<0.05). More importantly, the score of achievement motivation was positively correlated with psychological well-being (PWB) (r=0.55, P<0.001) and the six factors (r=0.42, 0.28, 0.49, 0.41, 0.49, 0.57; Ps<0.001). Additionally, motive to avoid failure was negatively correlated with psychological well-being (PWB) (r=-0.55，P<0.001), and, motive to pursue success was positively correlated with psychological well-being (PWB) (r=0.31; P<0.001). In order to determine the relative importance of the two factors of achievement motivation (motive to avoid failure and motive to success) when predicting Psychological well-being and it’s six factors, we calculated the relative importance weights of them. Both of motive to avoid failure and motive to success could significantly predict psychological well-being(PWB). However，the relative importance weights of motive to avoid failure (80%) is stronger than motive to pursue success(16.7%). The results suggested that when predicting Psychological well-being and it’s six factors, the relative importance of motive to avoid failure was stronger than motive to success . In conclusion, our study showed that achievement motivation can predict psychological well-being and the relative importance of motive to avoid failure is stronger than motive to success when predicting both psychological well-being (PWB) and its six factors.

Key words: achievement motivation, motive to pursue success, motive to avoid failure, psychological well-being

摘要： 前人研究发现成就动机影响个体的主观幸福感，而对心理幸福感的研究较少。本研究利用成就动机量表和心理幸福感量表，采用随机抽样的方法对214名大学生进行问卷调查。研究发现，成就动机与心理幸福感及其各维度呈显著正相关；成就动机的两个维度(追求成功的动机和避免失败的动机)对心理幸福感具有显著预测作用，且避免失败的维度相对贡献更大。结果提示，成就动机可以较好的正向预测心理幸福感，且避免失败的预测作用更强。

关键词: 成就动机□追求成功□避免失败□心理幸福感