Motivation is a psychological construct that explains the nature, strength, and persistence of behaviors. Achievement motivation concerns motivation in contexts in which performance standards apply and outcomes can be judged as successes or failures. Typical contexts include schools, athletic fields, the workplace, the stage, and even social situations. Success and failure may be defined variably, for example, as meeting a personal goal, achieving recognition or a reward, or winning a competition. Success for a pianist might be measured in the length of applause, for a hostess in the amount of food the guests [Page 8]consume, for a student in the grade on a test, and for a surgeon in whether a patient survives.