# A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality

- **Authors**: Carol S. Dweck, Ellen L. Leggett
- **Year**: 1988
- **Summary**: This paper is a key text in Achievement Goal Theory. It distinguishes between performance goals (seeking to demonstrate competence) and mastery goals (seeking to develop competence). The theory suggests that fostering mastery goals leads to more resilient and adaptive motivational patterns, a key insight for designing sustainable gamified systems that focus on personal growth over social comparison.
- **Link**: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1988-15288-001
