Goal Setting

Question 1

state 3/5 reasons why goal setting is of interest

Answer 1

1. helps engage in selected (eg - helpful) behaviours
2. frequently reported from high performance
3. successful athletes use goal setting more than less successful athletes
4. a common and useful strategy in driving behaviour
5. frequently linked to positive psychological outcomes

Question 2

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘goal’

Answer 2

a goal is what an individual is trying to accomplish; the object or aim of action

Question 3

state 3 general facts about goals

Answer 3

1. can be objective or subjective
2. can be mastery or avoidance based
3. can be relative or absolute

Question 4

every goal includes 2 basic components. state what these are

Answer 4

1. direction of the goal

2. the amount of quality of the product (from the goal)

Question 5

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘objective goal’

Answer 5

an objective goal is one where you attempt to attain a specific standard of proficiency in a task, usually within a specified time (Locke and Lathum, 2002)

Question 6

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘subjective goal’

Answer 6

a subjective goal is a general statement of intent

Question 7

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘outcome goal’

Answer 7

an outcome goal is one that typically focuses on a competitive result of an event

Question 8

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘performance goal’

Answer 8

a performance goal is one that typically focuses on achieving standards of performance objectives (independent of other competitors)

Question 9

state what it is meant by the key term - ‘process goal’

Answer 9

process goals typically focus on the actions the individual must engage in during performance to execute or perform well

Question 10

state 3/6 ‘common problems in goal setting’ as stated by Weinberg and Gould, 2012

Answer 10

1. convincing athletes to set goals (Murphy, 1996)
2. failing to set specific goals
3. setting too many goals, too soon
4. failing to adjust goals
5. failing to set performance and process goals
6. not providing follow ups and evaluations

Question 11

state who came up with, and when they came up with, ‘Goal Setting Theory’

Answer 11

Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019

Question 12

state 2 introductory facts to ‘goal setting theory’

Answer 12

1. the prominent framework for intervention

2. used across multiple domains

Question 13

state the 2 views of how goal setting works

Answer 13

1. the ‘indirect thought process’ view

2. the ‘direct mechanistic’ view

Question 14

explain the ‘indirect thought process’ to how goal setting works (1 point)

Answer 14

goals indirectly influence performance through psychological factors (eg - confidence, anxiety)

Question 15

explain the ‘direct mechanistic’ view of how goal setting works (4 points)

Answer 15

1. goals direct attention to important elements of a skill
2. goals mobilise performers efforts
3. goals prolong performer persistence
4. goals foster development of new learning strategies

Question 16

what are goals considered to be (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 16

goals are thought to be an ‘end state’ or the object to accomplish

Question 17

through intervention, what two things can occur (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 17

1. goals have been shown to enhance task-related performance

2. effect occurs through 4 mechanisms

Question 18

state the 1st (of 4) mechanisms by which effect occurs as a result of goal setting (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 18

directs individuals to focus their efforts towards goal related actions, and ignore irrelevant activities

Question 19

state the 2nd (of 4) mechanisms by which effect occurs as a result of goal setting (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 19

energises individuals, allowing them to invest effort into goal pursuit

Question 20

state the 3rd (of 4) mechanisms by which effect occurs as a result of goal setting (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 20

impacts persistence whereby more difficult goals result in a higher effort being exerted

Question 21

state the 4th (of 4) mechanisms by which effect occurs as a result of goal setting (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2019)

Answer 21

pursuing goals facilitates the discovery and development of task-related strategies

Question 22

state the 5 things that impact goal setting, as stated by Locke and Latham (2002, 2019) ?

Answer 22

1. goal difficulty
2. goal specificity
3. goal proximity
4. goal source
5. goal type

Question 23

what are the 6 ‘moderators’ which have been shown to effect the ‘goal setting-performance relationship’ ?

(a great fan taught the rowing)

Answer 23

1. ability
2. goal commitment
3. feedback
4. task complexity
5. task knowledge
6. resources

Question 24

what study did Weinberg et al come up with in 2000 ?

Answer 24

‘Athlete preference for goal setting’ (Weinberg et al, 2000)

Question 25

what was the point of the following study - ‘Athlete preference for goal setting’ (Weinberg et al, 2000)

Answer 25

exploratory research into different levels of athletes (almost all use goal setting and find it useful)

Question 26

state the 3 result sets from - ‘Athlete preference for goal setting’ (Weinberg et al, 2000)

Answer 26

1. olympic athletes viewed improving performance as most important goal, then winning and enjoyment
2. college students saw winning as the most important goal
3. youth athletes saw enjoyment as the most important goal

Question 27

as found in ‘Athlete preference for goal setting’ (Weinberg et al, 2000), explain the two types of barriers to achieving goals

Answer 27

1. internal - lack of confidence, lack of time, lack of goal feedback, too many goals, confusing goals
2. external - lack of time, work commitments, family and personal responsibilities

Question 28

what study did McCarthy et al conduct in 2010 ?

Answer 28

‘Using goal setting to enhance positive effect’ (McCarthy et al, 2010)

Question 29

explain the experimental set up, in 4 points, to - ‘Using goal setting to enhance posotive effect’ (McCarthy et al, 2010)

Answer 29

1. junior multi-event athletes (n = 3)
2. psycho-educational workbook which did the following:
3. set process and performance goals for training
4. explored the goal setting principles

Question 30

state the 4 findings to - ‘Using goal setting to enhance positive effect’ (McCarthy et al, 2010)

Answer 30

1. significant overall increase in positive effect for participants 1 and 2
2. part significant effect for participant 3
3. no significant in decrease the negative effect
4. some support for the hypothesis that goal setting can support the positive effect

Question 31

what study did O’Brien et al conduct in 2009 ?

Answer 31

‘Using goal setting to enhance performance’ (O’Brien et al, 2009)

Question 32

state 3 introductory facts about -‘Using goal setting to enhance performance’ (O’Brien et al, 2009)

Answer 32

1. examining effects of goal setting on performance (skill level)
2. examined 3 elite and 3 non-elite boxers (aged 15-17)
3. goal setting programme (3 phases): determining goals, setting goals, reviewing goals

Question 33

state the 2 findings to - ‘Using goal setting to enhance performance’ (O’Brien et al, 2009)

Answer 33

1. elite performers displayed consistent performance improvements in targeted behaviours (more facilitative anxiety, greater self-confidence)
2. post IV, 5/6 boxers showed improvements in win percentage of their fights

Question 34

state 4 (10 available) goal setting principles stated by Weinberg and Gould (2012)

Answer 34

1. set specific goals
2. set moderately difficult but achievable goals
3. set LT and ST goals
4. set performance, process and outcome goals
5. set practice and competition goals
6. record goals
7. develop goal achievement strategies
8. consider participants personality and motivations
9. foster an individuals goal commitment
10. provide goal support and evaluation

Question 35

what is the ‘goal setting theory’ said to be ?

Answer 35

a motivational theory focused on conscious goal and task performance