Psy 346 Ch. 8

Distal Goals

Long-term goals

Proximal Goal

Short-term goals

Principle of Purposive Behavior

Tolman) Why some substances become goals, because they satisfy needs - the subjective value (valance) of a stimulus depends on the persons motivational or physiological state - Valance determines psychological state - Incentive with highest valence is selected as a goal

Goal-performance discrepancy

when a goal is set; where one stands in relation to end goal. If one is far from goal (discrepancy) behavior is motivated - Individuals that set goals outperform those w/o goals - Goals allow for better performance

Goal Proximity affects what?

persistence and intrinsic motivation - Short term goals provide quick feedback and high persistence - Long term goals are a chain of short term goals, little feedback o Facilitates intrinsic motivation

Level of aspiration

persons desire to excel, to do better the next time, or to do better than others - Pursing goals is one way to satisfy aspirations

Self-efficacy

reflects individuals beliefs regarding how capable they are to perform the behavior necessary to achieve goal

Discrepancy

suffering a congruency between ideal state and present state - This feeling causes the want to change the present state - Having awareness of the discrepancy produces motivation

Social Comparison Theory

the level of the goal set by an individual is determined by his/her standing relative to members in the group - Demands from others

TOTE Model

(Test-operate-test-exit model) A cognitive mechanism by which plans energize and direct behavior. 1) Test - compare the present state against the ideal a. Mismatch (incongruity) between the two causes Action to be taken 2) Operate - taking action with a planed sequence of actions 3) Test - compare again to see if operate created a congruity a. If still incongruent Go back to Operate b. This repeats till there is a congruity 4) Exit - When state becomes ideal the plan is exited

3 Things Goals Need

1) Difficult and Specific 2) Coupled with feedback 3) Goal Acceptance

Factors when setting goals and performance gains (3)

1) Difficulty 2) Specificity 3) Feedback

2 Types of Discrepancy

1) Discrepancy Reduction 2) Discrepancy Creation

When Goal is set and committed to, what 3 volitional problems occur?

1) Getting started, despite daily distractions 2) Persisting, in spite of difficulties and setbacks 3) Resuming, once an interruption occurs

4 Goal Characteristics

1) Goal level - Rank of a goal in a hierarchy of potential goals a. Is achieving the goal high in value? b. As goal is more difficult the value of the goal goes up 2) Goal difficulty - How difficult a goal is a. As difficulty goes up so does performance 3) Goal specificity - how precise is the goal, clarity of goal a. The more specific the more planning happens b. The more specific the more gets done 4) Goal commitment - if goal is accepted internally the better the outcome

3 Criticisms for Goal-Setting Theory

1) It may enhance performance but NOT motivation 2) Is only really most effective when task is boring and require straightforward procedures 3) Utility is limited in applied settings: does not account for when performance needs to be above individual ability and does not provide feedback, opportunity for failure, or cognitive flexibility, or autonomy

4 Factors to determine if an Externally set goal will be accepted or rejected

1) Perceived difficulty of the imposed goal 2) Participation in the goal-setting process 3) Credibility of the person assigning the goal 4) Extrinsic incentives

Steps for Effective Goal-Setting Program

1) Steps Goal-Setting Process a. Specify the objective to be accomplished b. Define goal difficulty c. Clarify goal specificity d. Specify the time span when performance will be assessed 2) Steps Goal-Striving Process a. Check on goal acceptance b. Discuss goal-attainment strategies c. Create implementation intentions d. Provide performance feedback

Corrective Motivation

activates a decision-making process in which the individual considers many different possible ways for reducing the present-ideal incongruity 1) Change the plan 2) Change behavior (increase effort) 3) Withdraw from the plan altogether - Has 2 important aspects 1) Act to achieve the ideal state 2) Ready to change and revise an ineffective plan - Also involves emotion o When meet ideal state as fast as expected little emotion o When met ideal state slower then expected negative emotion o When met ideal state faster then expected positive emotion

Discrepancy Creation

based on 'feed-forward' system in which the person looks forward and proactively sets a future, higher goal. a. No environmental feedback needed b. Person set ideal state c. Goal-setting motivation d. Proactive behavior e. Related to positive emotions

Discrepancy Reduction

based on the discrepancy-detecting feedback that underlies plans and corrective motivation a. Environment provides feedback on performance b. Envionrment sets ideal state c. Plan-based corrective motivation d. Reactive behavior e. Related to negative emotions: anxiety, frustration

Mental Stimulations

focuses on planning and problem solving. - Visualizing being at the goal does not help - Focusing on how to obtain the goal does help

Implementation Intentions

having the intention to start goal directed behavior. - Allows for attention to be focused on goal and prevent from being distracted - Allows for greater probability of starting a project or finishing up

Achievement Valence

how much value the achievement has