Goal Setting Theory

Question 1

What is the definition?

Answer 1

> Happiness requires having clear cut goals in life that give us a sense of purpose and direction (Miller)
When a client has success with one goal, self-efficacy goes up and increases potential for success in other areas
Emphasizes the relationship between goals & performance
Most effective performance occurs - when goals are specific, challenging, used to access performance & linked to feedback

Question 2

What are the acronyms/needs and skills?

Answer 2

> Goal Setting Method/Locke & Latham’s 5 principles that increase chance of success: > Clarity - can be measured; explicit with regard to which result is desired & how it will be measured
Complexity - takes into account goal complexity; complexity can influence morale/productivity & motivation; too complex can be overwhelming - need to have enough time to work toward goal
Challenge - somewhere between easy and difficult; goals that are too easy/too hard negatively impact motivation & may reduce performance
Commitment - ‘buy in’ - people work harder toward a goal when they’re involved in setting it

Question 3

What are the principles?

Answer 3

4 Mechanisms through which goals affect performance:
> Directive function - direct attention/effort toward goal related activities
> Energizing function - high level goals lead to greater effort than low level
> Affect persistence - hard goals prolong effort when people are allowed to control the time that they spend on a task
> Affect action - (indirectly) by leading to arousal/discovery and/or use of task-relevant knowledge and strategies