CHapter 6 Target Setting Flashcards
Prevalence of targets
Hurdle Bonus
threshold is reached (target or a certain percentage of the target).
Ratched effect
- Targets are revised based on past performance.
- Target revisions upwards (downwards) reduce (increase) the likelihood of achieving the revised target.
Goal setting theory
- Formulated inductively, largely on the basis of empirical research conducted.
- Goal: object or aim of an action, e.g., to attain a specific standard or proficiency, usually within a specified time limit.
Specific (difficult) goals vs. common exhortations (“Work hard! Do your best.”):
Specific difficult goals lead to a higher performance than urging people to do their best.
- Do-your-best-goals have no external benchmark and lead to a wide range of acceptable performance
levels.
- This is not the case when the goal is specified.
Goals direct attention and effort towards goal-relevant activities and away from goal-irrelevant activities.
Effort-directing effect.
Goals have an energizing function: High goals lead to greater effort than low goals:
- Physical effort.
- Repeated performance of simple cognitive tasks.
- Measurements of subjective effort.
- Physiological indicators of effort.
Þ Effort-increasing effect.
Goals affect persistence: Hard goals prolong the time spent on the task.
Þ Effort-persistence effect.
Key categories of factors improving goal commitment:
Factors that make goal attainment important (importance).
- Public commitment
- Vision(leadership)
- Participation
- Rationale
Factors that lead people to believe that they can attain the goal (self-efficacy).
- Training
- Communication