West Point Cadets: Their Motive to Achieve,

Abstract : This paper reviews the evidence of West Point cadets' motive to achieve by analyzing the four subscale dimensions Mastery, Work, Competitiveness, and Personal Unconcern of the Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire developed by Spence and Helmreich. Evidence presented includes a factor analysis of the subscale dimensions, comparison of mean scores of the West Point cadets with other high achievers with high educational and career aspirations, and an analysis of variance of the subscale scores of the WOFO by class (freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior) and by sex. The data adds some support to the assumption that the motive to achieve is similar for males and females who have similar educational and career aspirations. Also, the analyses suggest that the environment or length of stay has an effect on the subscale scores of Work and Competitiveness. Implications of the findings for developmental activities and for orientations to future research about male and female cadets are discussed. (Author)