Differences in positive and negative affect across social achievement goal clusters among Japanese college students

Introduction Positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) are important contributors to college students' successful campus lives; however, the extent to which social achievement goals are associated with these affective states remains underexplored. These goals encompass three orientations toward social competence, namely social development, social demonstration-approach, and social demonstration-avoid goals. The first purpose of this study was to identify typical combinations of the three types of social achievement goals among Japanese college students. The second was to examine between-subgroup differences in PA and NA. Methods An online survey was conducted in June 2024 with 330 Japanese college students (mean age = 20.13 years; 50% female). Participants completed self-report measures assessing social achievement goals as well as daily PA and NA. Cluster analysis using Ward's method was performed. Results Four clusters emerged: (1) a low cluster, characterized by low levels of all three goal types; (2) an average cluster, characterized by average levels; (3) a high cluster, characterized by high levels; and (4) a low social demonstration-approach goal cluster. The low cluster scored significantly lower on PA than the other clusters and significantly lower on NA than the high and average clusters. Moreover, the low social demonstration-approach goal cluster scored lower on NA than the high cluster. Conclusion These findings enhance understanding of the relationship between social achievement goal profiles and emotional adjustment among college students.