Relationship of adjudicated youths' perceptions of juvenile justice workers' implicit theories of intelligence and achievement goals on motivation to complete treatment to reduce delinquent behavior

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of delinquent youths' perceptions of juvenile justice workers' implicit theories of intelligence (i.e., incremental and entity theories) and achievement goals (i.e., mastery and performance goals) in determining youths' motivation (i.e. self-efficacy and achievement goals) to complete treatment programs designed to reduce delinquency. Hierarchical regression models were used to evaluate youths' perceptions of workers' implicit theories of intelligence and achievement goals and interactions of youths' perceptions of workers' achievement goals and implicit theories of intelligence on youths' motivation to complete delinquency reduction programs. To test interaction effects each variable was computed into standardized interaction terms and tested for effects of youths' perceptions of juvenile justice workers' theories of intelligence and achievement goals on youth self-efficacy and achievement goals.

Findings and Conclusions: The regression models were significant when examining for the effect of delinquent youths' perceptions of juvenile justice workers' implicit theories of intelligence and achievement goals on youths' self-efficacy, mastery goals, and performance goals. Multiple regressions were run to investigate the effects of youths' perceptions of workers' achievement goals (i.e., mastery goals and performance goals) on youths' self-efficacy and achievement goals. The regressions revealed youths' perceptions of workers' mastery goals positively affect youths' self-efficacy, mastery goals, and performance goals and workers' entity theories of intelligence positively affect youths' performance goals. A significant interaction effect was revealed between youths' perceptions of workers' incremental theories of intelligence and performance goals on youths' self-efficacy, mastery goals and performance goals for completing treatment. The relationship between workers' performance goals and delinquent youths' self-efficacy varied as a function of youths' perceptions of workers' incremental. Youths' perceptions of workers' performance goals showed a significant positive effect on youths' self-efficacy only when youths' perceptions of workers' incremental beliefs were high. Youths' perceptions of workers' incremental beliefs moderated the effect of youths' perceptions of workers' performance goals on youths' mastery goals. The relationship between youths' performance goals and youths' perceptions of workers' performance goals varied depending upon youths' perceptions of workers' incremental beliefs.