ABSTRACT
Social achievement goals refer to different orientations to social competence. Individuals can focus on developing social competence (social development goals), or demonstrating it (demonstrating superior ability in case of demonstration-approach goals and concealing inferior ability in case of demonstration-avoid goals). By serving as an overarching interpretive framework, social achievement goals have important implications for individuals' social, psychological, and academic adjustment. Social development goals relate to healthy social relationships, psychological adjustment, and adaptive patterns of classroom behaviors. In contrast, social demonstration-avoid goals relate to maladaptive psychological outcomes and avoidant behaviors. Social demonstration-approach goals are associated with social competence and popularity but also with aggression. Several mechanisms of the goal effects are identified. Further research should examine the personal and contextual antecedents of goal adoption and the moderators of goal effect to better inform intervention.
