Read the selection below on economic growth and achievement motivation. Then answer the questions that follow.

Question

That the economic fortunes of nations rise and fall over time is obvious. In the late 1950s, graphs indicated that the United States was truly the dominant economic power in the world: it accounted for a majority of the world’s output of steel, automobiles, and electricity, to name just a few important items. Today, of course, such graphs tell a very different story. The United States no longer accounts for most
of the world production in these areas, and in recent years, the U.S. rate of growth has been exceeded by
that in several Asian countries. What factors contribute to such trends? Most persons, including economists, would list such factors as the price and availability of natural resources, labor costs, and government policies that encourage growth. To this list, psychologists would add another factor: national differences in achievement motivation.
While achievement motivation is certainly an individual process, some evidence points to the conclusion that average levels of this motive vary sharply across cultures. For example, in classic research on this topic, McClelland (1985) analyzed stories told to children in twenty-two different cultures. McClelland analyzed the stories with respect to the degree to which they showed themes of achievement motivation. The major finding was clear: achievement motivation scores were highly correlated with economic growth. In other words, the greater the emphasis placed on achievement in the stories told to children in various nations, the more rapid the economic growth in these nations as the children grew up.
While these results may seem surprising, they have been confirmed repeatedly. For example, in a massive study involving more than 12,000 participants in forty-one different countries, Furnham, Kirkcaldy, and Lynn (1994) examined the relationship between a wide range of attitudes closely related to achievement motivation, and two indicators of economic growth: 1) the amount of income produced by a country; and 2) percentage of increase in economic output from year to year. Results showed a significant relationship between achievement-related attitudes and economic growth. For instance,
across all countries studied, attitudes toward competitiveness were a significant predictor of economic growth: The stronger the competitiveness, the greater the rate of growth.
Of course, such research does not show that differences in achievement motivation across various cultures cause differences in economic growth; however, the fact that achievement motivation does influence individual performance suggests that investigating cultural differences in this motive may indeed provide us with insights into why certain countries suddenly rise to economic prominence at particular times in their history.

1. Massive, as used in paragraph three, most nearly means
a. overwhelming.
b. huge.
c. bulky.

2. Furnham, Kirkaldy, and Lynn’s study (1994) emphasized
a. labor costs and government policies that encourage economic growth.
b. children’s stories.
c. competitiveness.

3. The major finding of the 1994 study was that
a. attitudes toward competitiveness were a significant predictor of economic growth.
b. the greater the emphasis placed on achievement in children’s stories, the more rapid the economic growth in those nations as the children grew up.
c. national differences in achievement motivation are not significant.

4. The main idea of this passage is that
a. the U. S. is no longer the dominant economic power, and therefore needs to be more competitive.
b. the economic fortunes of nations are influenced by the factor of achievement motivation, and
investigating cultural differences in this motive may provide us with important information.
c. results of achievement motivation studies are surprising.

5. The last paragraph suggests that achievement motivation a. causes economic growth.
b. has no effect on economic growth.
c. may not cause but may influence economic growth.

Answer 1

1. b. huge
2. c. competitiveness.
3. a. attitudes toward competitiveness were a significant predictor of economic growth.
4. b. the economic fortunes of nations are influenced by the factor of achievement motivation, and investigating cultural differences in this motive may provide us with important information.
5. c. may not cause but may influence economic growth.