AbstractGjesme, T. 1983. Motivation to Approach Success (Ts) and Motivation to Avoid Failure (Tf) at School. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 27, 145‐164. The interaction effects of personality characteristics such as the pupils' achievement motives, level of ability, future time orientation (FTO), sex of S, and one situational determinant—the pupils' perceived intrinsic instrumentality of school activity (Pil)—were considered in relation to approach (Ts) and avoidance (Tf) motivation at school. The analyses of results, based on 524 pupils in the sixth grade in elementary school, showed that: the achievement motives were positively related to Ts and negatively related to Tf; girls had higher Tf than boys; FTO was negatively related to Tf, but not related to Ts; Pil was positively related to Ts, but not related to Tf. However, an ability‐by‐motives‐by‐sex of S effect on Ts indicated that success‐oriented high‐ability girls and moderate‐ability boys had the highest Ts at school. A number of other explainable interactions were also revealed. ¹ This paper is a part of a research project entitled Motives and Motivation at School. The project has been financially supported by grants from the Norwegian Research Council for Science and Humanities, grant no. 12.70.10.148.