James W. Fryer

Research Interests

My research centers on the impact of achievement motivation and achievement goals, particularly in educational settings. Ongoing programs of research include:

1. The stability of achievement goal endorsement over time. Topics of interest include the degree of stability and change in achievement goals, the factors that lead to goal revision (both optimal self-regulation and maladaptive disengagement), and variations in stability of the different achievement goals. The issue of goal stability is particularly important across educational transitions, and may suggest ways to decrease vulnerability and enhance resilience across challenging educational situations.

2. The intergenerational transmission and socialization of achievement motivation. Our focus is the development of avoidance motivation in young children, the processes by which this occurs, and the parental practices and educational contexts which may attenuate the development of fear of failure.

3. The reasons behind achievement goal endorsement. This research aims to describe the intrapersonal and environmental influences that achievement goals are founded on, and further characterize the processes and consequences that result from the combination of achievement goals and these underlying influences (“goal complexes;” Elliot & Thrash, 2001).

Publications/Manuscripts

• Friedman, R., Moller, A.C., Fryer, J.W., Zahn, I., Law, W., Acuff, R.D., Niesta, D., Murayama, K., Meier, A.M., Jelstad, B., & Elliot, A.J. (in press). Achievement goals in the context of the hierarchical model of approach-avoidance achievement motivation. To appear in S. Karabenick & A. Kaplan (Eds.) Culture, self, and motivation: Essays in honor of Martin L. Maehr. New York: Information Age Publishers.
• Elliot, A.J., & Fryer, J.W. (2007). The goal construct in psychology. In J. Shah & W. Gardner (Eds.), Handbook of Motivational Science (pp. 235-250). New York: Guilford Press.
• Fryer, J. W., & Elliot, A. J. (2007). Stability and change in achievement goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 700-714.
• Fryer, J. W., & Elliot, A. J. (2007). Self-regulation of achievement goal pursuit. In D. Schunk & B. Zimmerman (Eds.), Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning: Theory, Research, and Applications. (pp. 53-76). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Elliot, A. J., Cury, F., Fryer, J. W., & Huguet, P. (2006). Achievement goals, self-handicapping, and performance attainment: A mediational analysis. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28, 344-361.
• Fryer, J. W., & Elliot, A. J. (2006). Resilience and vulnerability of achievement goal endorsement. Manuscript in preparation.
• Thrash, T.M., Cassidy, S.E., Eden, A., Fryer, J.W., & Ryan, R.M. Mediating on behalf of the Muse: Inspiration as transmission of creative insight. Manuscript in preparation.
• Elliot, A. J., Thrash, T. M., Mapes, R. M., & Fryer, J. W. On the development of fear of failure. Manuscript in preparation.

Presentations

• Fryer, J.W., & Elliot, A. J. (2008, March). Resilience and vulnerability of achievement goals. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Americal Educational Research Association, New York, NY.
• Fryer, J. W. (2008, March). Motivating self-regulated learners: Theory, research and applications. Panel presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.
• Fryer, J. W., & Elliot, A. J. (2008, February). When to persist and when to desist: Predictors of intraindividual stability in achievement goals. Poster session to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Albuquerque, NM.
• Fryer, J. W., & Thrash, T. M. (2007, May). Personal growth, revelation, and need satisfaction in life story episodes. Poster presented at the Third International Conference on Self-Determination Theory, Toronto, ON, Canada.
• Fryer, J. W., Zahn, I., & Elliot, A. J. (2007, April). The reasons behind achievement goal endorsement: A qualitative analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
• Fryer, J. W. & Elliot, A. J. (2007, January). Novel observational methodologies for the assessment of achievement goal outcomes and processes. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Memphis, TN.
• Fryer, J. W. & Elliot, A. J. (2006, January). Stability and change in achievement goals. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, CA.
• Fryer, J. W., Elliot, A. J., Cury, F., & Huguet, P. (2005, January). Achievement goals, self-handicapping, and performance attainment: A mediational analysis. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
• Fryer, J. W. & Elliot, A. J. (2004, February). Interpersonal distance in child drawings as an indicator of love withdrawal. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.
• Fryer, J. W., Elliot, A. J. & Thrash, T. M. (2003, February). The intergenerational transmission of fear of failure. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, Los Angeles, CA.

Additional Information

If you are an undergraduate at the University of Rochester, and you're interested in joining our research team, please send me an e-mail.

Curriculum vitae is available upon request.