Abstract: Investigating the different risk-taking behaviors among different achievement motivation groups with the help of computer simulation experiment and questionnaire, combining with the achievement motivation theory (Atkinson 1957) and the Dynamics of Action Model (Atkinson and Birch 1970,1974). The result showed: (1) At the initial stage of dynamic progress, different achievement motivation groups had different behavior preference. High achievement motivation members were inclined to choose tasks at middle difficulty levels and low achievement motivation members were inclined to choose tasks at extreme difficulty levels. (2) In the dynamic progress of risk-taking behavior, the different character of choice tendency from static condition appeared: both the high and the low achievement motivation members chose more difficult achievement tasks, high achievement motivation members chose harder than the low achievement motivation ones, but their increase speed of difficulty level was slower. (3) That the atypical shift is an efficient measurement of achievement motivation was confirmed.

Key words: achievement motivation, risk-taking behavior, atypical shift, dynamic conditions