The Starkweather Target Game is designed to measure preschool children's willingness to try difficult tasks independent of ability. The game consists of a box-shaped target which responds, when the target is hit by a rolled ball, somewhat like a jack-in-a-box. When the bull's eye is hit, the lid opens and a surprise picture appears. After being seen by the child, another picture replaces it. The game is appropriate for children between three and six years; older children have an understanding of competition and success in hitting the target is their only goal. Materials include the target; 21 surprise pictures; a rubber ball; a cloth strip on which black lines at two foot intervals show the distance at which the target may be placed; and two small markers, one marked "easy" and one marked "hard" indicating the target distances between which the child chooses as he plays the game. During the game, the child shows his willingness to try difficult tasks, making a total of 20 choices between the easy and hard. The score is calculated from the number of balls the child uses and the number of times he chooses the difficult in relation to the number of successes he experiences. The game is adjusted for the ability of each child on the basis of a pretest. Statistical data is included in the report. (RC)