Need for achievement

Need for achievement is a person's desire for significant accomplishment, mastery of skills, control, or high standards. The term was first used by Henry Murray to describe a range of actions that include: "intense, prolonged and repeated efforts to accomplish something difficult[, t]o work with singleness of purpose towards a high and distant goal[, and t]o have the determination to win".

The psychometric device designed to measure need-for-achievement, N-Ach, was popularized by the psychologist David McClelland.