Lecture 03 - The Personal and Interpersonal Sides of Goal Pursuit: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Question 1

describe the self-determination theory as a framework

Answer 1

• distinguish quantity and quality of motivation
• focus on issue of volition
• focus on satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs

Question 2

what are the basic psychological needs for humans?

Answer 2

relatedness: needing to feel meaningfully connected to at least some other people

competence: needing to feel that one can do things well or at least improve in one’s abilities

autonomy: needing to feel that one owns and agrees with one’s behaviour

Question 3

What is Emmons Personal Strivings Method?

Answer 3

personal goals are projects and concerns that people think about, plan for, carry out, and sometimes (though not always) complete or succeed at

they may be more or less difficult to implement; require only a few or a complex series of steps; represents different areas of a person’s life; and be more or less time consuming, attractive, and urgent

please list three personal goals that you have for the weekend

Question 4

What is the personal goal paradigm?

Answer 4

1. Select a start point - new year, new semester, start of therapy…
2. Assess (3) personal goals using Emmons Personal Striving Method
3. Assess goal progress across waves (self, peer, therapist, objective)
4. Assess goal motivation and goal support across waves

Question 5

Why is pursuing a self-determined goal so important?

Answer 5

fills our psychological need for autonomy

autonomy: sense of ownership and personal endorsement

the extent to which a goal reflects your developing interests and core values (versus something you feel pressured to do)

Question 6

What is the phenomenology of autonomy?

Answer 6

“want to” vs. “have to”
“get to” vs. “got to”
“whole-hearted” vs. “half-hearted”

Question 7

What is associated with highly autonomous goals?

Answer 7

they are associated with significantly greater success rates both ACROSS PEOPLE and ACROSS GOALS

effect size, across 3 dozen studies, Pearson r = 23

Question 8

Why do autonomous goals help?

Answer 8

consider the problems that arise after we have selected the goal and we begin to strive to reach it

• limits of self-control
• distractions and temptations
• action crises

Question 9

Why is goal shielding necessary for successful personal goal pursuit?

Answer 9

protects from frequency and strength of desires that conflict with personal goals

Question 10

What are action crises?

Answer 10

when you are torn between continued goal engagement and disengagement

Question 11

TRUE or FALSE: the effects for autonomous goal motivation and its related mediators are confirmed at only the within-person level

Answer 11

FALSE

the effects for autonomous goal motivation and its related mediators are confirmed at both the within-person and between-person levels

Question 12

Are personal goals exclusively personal?

Answer 12

personal goals are also “interpersonal”

we rely on others to show interest in and provide support for our goal pursuits

we have to outsource the self-control demands

Question 13

What are the two types of interpersonal goal support?

Answer 13

directive support: provision of positive guidance and encouragement

autonomy support: support framed as empathic, perspective-taking

Question 14

What are some examples of items for directive goal support?

Answer 14

helps me problem solve about my goals

reminds me of my goals

emphasizes the importance of reaching my goals

makes sure that I really understand the importance of reaching my goals without pressuring me to do so

Question 15

What are some examples of items for autonomy goal support?

Answer 15

listens to how I would like to do thing regarding my goals

understands how I see things with respect to my goals

conveys confidence in my ability to make changes towards my goals

accept me whether or not I reach my goals

Question 16

What does autonomy-support (but not directive-support) result in?

Answer 16

greater goal progress over time
greater well-being
better relationship satisfaction

Question 17

What do successful goals depend on?

Answer 17

selecting autonomous goals

receiving goal support that is autonomy-supportive

Question 18

Why do we need an accountability buddy?

Answer 18

“they can be used to help a person to get fitter or achieve career and personal goals, for example. Indeed, one US study found that you have a 65% chance of completing a goal if you tell someone else you’re committing to doing it”