Goal theory of achievement motivation provided the framework for an investigation of the relationship among young adolescents' motivational orientation, perceptions of the educational environment, and psychological well-being. One hundred sixty-eight sixth graders' reports of personal achievement goals and perceptions of the school as stressing task goals and ability goals were related to measures of general and academic well-being. Students' reports of holding task goals and perceiving the school as stressing task goals were related to positive psychological well-being, while reports of holding ability goals and perceiving the school as stressing ability goals were related to negative psychological well-being. These patterns were found among African American students as well as Euro-American students. However, path analyses pointed to possible different processes operating for the African American and the Euro-American students in the sample. Cluster analysis, based on the assumption that students hold and perceive the environment as stressing multiple goals, suggested that the most adaptive profiles were holding high task and low ability personal goals, and perceiving high task goals and low ability goals in the school. Tables at the end of the document provide adolescent survey results. (Contains 34 references.) (Author)