Research suggests that undergraduates' learning and performance-approach goals initiate distinct pathways to course achievement through different task values. However, few studies were longitudinal or controlled for initial task values. It therefore remains unclear whether task values mediate the relation between initial achievement goals and final grades beyond initial task values. The present study examined these pathways in two year-long college courses (N = 175). When initial task values were not controlled, the hypothesized pathways emerged: Semester 1 learning goals predicted year-end course grades via Semester 2 intrinsic value whereas Semester 1 performance-approach goals predicted course grades via Semester 2 attainment value. When Semester 1 values were controlled, however, achievement goals generally did not predict task values, although Semester 2 intrinsic and attainment value remained independent predictors of grades. These findings help to clarify and reconcile previous research findings and underscore the importance of accounting for construct stability to elucidate motivational processes.

研究表明，本科生的学习和表现方法目标通过不同的任务价值启动了不同的课程成就途径。然而，很少有研究是纵向的或对初始任务值进行控制的。因此，目前尚不清楚任务价值是否在初始任务价值之外介导了初始成就目标和最终成绩之间的关系。本研究在为期两年的大学课程中检验了这些途径（N = 175)。当初始任务值不受控制时，出现了假设的途径：第一学期的学习目标通过第二学期的内在价值预测年终课程成绩，而第一学期的绩效方法目标通过第二学期的成就价值预测课程成绩。然而，当第一学期的价值受到控制时，成就目标通常不能预测任务价值，尽管第二学期的内在价值和成就价值仍然是成绩的独立预测因素。这些发现有助于澄清和协调以前的研究结果，并强调考虑结构稳定性以阐明动机过程的重要性。