Results indicated support for the hypothesis that dysphoric adolescents, in comparison to their non-dysphoric counterparts, displayed more avoidance goals and fewer approach goals, offered more reasons for explaining goal non-achievement and fewer reasons for explaining goal achievement, predicted more aversive goal outcomes and less approach goal outcomes, and reported less personal control in achieving goals. The findings suggest an interrelationship between dysphoria in late adolescence and motivational and cognitive systems that work to undermine the pursuit of goals and emotional well-being. Participants were 28 dysphoric and 28 non-dysphoric Australian adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 years old who were selected for this study from a larger convenience sample. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory and then a series of experimental materials including the Goals Task, the Goals Explanation Task, the Goals Likelihood Task, and the Personal Control Task. Data analysis involved the calculations of a series of mixed design analyses of variance. Future research should focus on discriminating psychological phenomena that are relatively typical and transitory from conditions that are more severe and require treatment. Tables, figures, appendix, references