The effects of ability performance goals, normative performance goals, and mastery goals on anxiety, interest, and performance were examined in a series of experiments. Challenging problem-solving tasks that would demonstrate the effects of each performance goal more clearly were designed. Groups of early adolescents (Study 1) and college students in Korea (Studies 2 and 3) participated in similar experiments to strengthen the generalizability of the findings. Across the 3 studies, students assigned to the ability-goal condition exhibited significantly higher anxiety and lower interest compared with those in the normative- and mastery-goal conditions, except that the anxiety between the 2 performance-goal conditions did not differ after experiencing failure in Study 3. The ability-goal students persisted for significantly less time than did those in the other 2 conditions (Study 1) and demonstrated significantly lower challenge appraisal and weaker reengagement intention compared with those in the normative-goal condition (Study 2). The effects of achievement goals on problem-solving performance varied across the studies. Educational Impact and Implications Statement This study suggests that students who pursue the goal of proving their ability to others while performing challenging problem-solving tasks are more vulnerable to anxiety and lack of interest compared with those whose goal is to perform better than others or to improve their competence. Although it was those students who strived to outperform others that received performance benefits, it was those who focused on learning new skills and developing their competence that demonstrated the highest level of persistence when engaging in a difficult problem-solving task. The results highlight the importance of providing a safe learning environment in which students can focus on learning and performing well without having to worry about how their ability will be evaluated.