N-Ach (Need for Achievement) is a term introduced by David McClelland into the field of psychology, referring to an individual's desire for significant accomplishment, mastering of skills, control, or high standards.
People with high N-Ach typically achieve more during their lives than people with low N-Ach. Those with low N-Ach may choose tasks with very easy difficulty, so they have a decreased chance of failure, or they may choose a difficult task, so a failure would not be embarrassing. Those with high N-Ach will choose moderately difficult tasks, feeling that they are challenging, but within reach.
Sources of high N-Ach include:
- Parents who encouraged independence in childhood
- Praise and rewards for success
- Association of achievement with positive feelings
- Association of achievement with one's own competence and effort, not luck
- A desire to be effective or challenged
