Prediction of the Female Students' Achievement Motivation Based on Mothers' Perfectionism and Personality Traits

The purpose of this study was to predict female students' achievement motivation based on mothers' perfectionism and personality traits. The study was carried out using descriptive-correlational method. To this purpose, of all the female students in the first round high schools of Tehran city and their parents in the academic year 2018-2019, 384 cases were selected as the statistical sample using multi-stage cluster sampling method. In order to collect data, Herman's Achievement Motivation Scale (1987), Frost's Perfectionism Scale (1990), and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI, Costa & McCrae, 1997) were used. The collected data were analyzed using multiple stepwise regression analysis. The results of data analysis showed that maternal perfectionism dimensions predict 65.5 % of female students' achievement motivation. The greatest contribution is related to casting doubt over the action, individual standards, parent's criticism, concerns about mistakes, and order components, respectively. Meanwhile, casting doubt over the action, parent's criticism, and concerns about mistakes negatively, and individual standards and order positively contributed to the prediction of achievement motivation. Moreover, parental expectation component had no significant contribution to the model prediction. Additionally, mother's character components predict 46.6% of the female students' achievement motivation; and conscientiousness, flexibility, agreeableness, neuroticism, and extraversion made the greatest contribution, respectively. Of these, only   neuroticism negatively contributed to the prediction of achievement motivation.