Causes of increases in achievement motivation: Is the personality influenced by prenatal environment?

A study of the birth records of 1921 entrepreneurs indicates that individuals born during World War II are more likely to succeed in the music industry than individuals born previously or afterwards. The close correspondence between the births of achievers and the events of war suggests that achievement motivation may be caused by a motherʹs anxiety during pregnancy. Medical evidence confirms the existence of a strong prenatal influence on individuals by anxiety. Results from a clinical study of 58 junior college students are given indicating that the prenatal anxiety of mothers correlates positively with achievement motivation. Suggestions are made for confirming these findings through further investigation.