Competence feedback has been found to increase intrinsic motivation, defined as those behaviors that are motivated by the underlying need for competence and self-determination. In a study investigating competency and intrinsic motivation, 120 high school males received three types of competence information: (1) expectancy (information that they would do better than average); (2) an objective norm for standard performance; and (3) feedback. The information concerned performance on a word game. Pretest information was used to classify students according to achievement orientation and initial interest in the puzzles. A process analysis of the effects of the variables on intrinsic motivation showed that anticipated performance and personal importance were affected by the experimental variables, and in turn affected enjoyment. The direct and mediated effects of the information differed by achievement orientation. Importance mediated enjoyment effects for high achievers, while anticipated performance was critical for low achievers. In general, the results suggest that competence information may not always enhance intrinsic motivation, since the identical competence information was perceived differently by high and low achievers. Importance and anticipated performance appear to be important mediators of the effects of competence information on enjoyment. (JAC)