“We examined how achievement (learning and performance) goals and academic self-efficacy predicted three achievement-related outcomes in a college sample. Self-efficacy tended to moderate the effects of (learning and performance) goals on number of courses taken for a letter grade as well as achievement in letter graded and pass/fail courses. Thus, learning goals better predicted choosing letter grades when self-efficacy was high than when it was low. In contrast, performance goals better predicted choosing letter grades when self-efficacy was low than when it was high. Through their prediction of the choice to receive letter grades, these interactions predicted achievement in pass/fail courses.” (p.495)

Leach, C. W., Queirolo, S. S., Devoe, S., & Chemers, M. (2003). Choosing letter grade evaluations: The interaction of students’ achievement goals and self-efficacy. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 28(4), 495–509. doi: 10.1016/s0361-476x(02)00058-9