Goal motives and mental contrasting with implementation intentions facilitate strategic goal persistence and disengagement: Testing integrative models of goal motivation and goal regulation
Goal motives and mental contrasting with implementation intentions facilitate strategic goal persistence and disengagement: Testing integrative models of goal motivation and goal regulation
In three experiments, we examine the role of motives underlying goal pursuit and the metacognitive strategy of mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) to predict the strategic use of self-regulation responses (persistence, disengagement, and reengagement) when faced with attainable, unattainable, or multiple goals. We trained half of the participants to use MCII and treated the rest as control. Experiment 1 (N = 261) underscored the role of autonomous motivation in nurturing adaptive cognitive appraisals and coping mechanisms, which facilitated persistence and progress with a difficult but attainable goal. In contrast, controlled motives undermined striving by predicting threat appraisals and giving up coping. MCII training ameliorated the negative impact of controlled motivation on goal striving by reducing threat appraisals. In Experiment 2 (N = 391), we manipulated the task to make the initial goal unattainable. Strategic goal striving (disengagement from the unattainable goal followed by reengagement with an alternative goal) was facilitated by MCII and autonomous goal motives, and culminated in increases in positive affect. In Experiment 3 (N = 432), we extended these findings to a multiple-goal setting. The research further develops the literatures on self-regulation and self-determination, while having implications for life domains where individuals pursue multiple and/or difficult goals.
goal motives, goal disengagement, goal reengagement, multiple goal pursuit, mental contrasting with implementation intentions
1094-1116
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
November 2022
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Sedikides, Constantine
(2022)
Goal motives and mental contrasting with implementation intentions facilitate strategic goal persistence and disengagement: Testing integrative models of goal motivation and goal regulation.
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 52 (11), .
(doi:10.1111/jasp.12915).
Abstract
In three experiments, we examine the role of motives underlying goal pursuit and the metacognitive strategy of mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) to predict the strategic use of self-regulation responses (persistence, disengagement, and reengagement) when faced with attainable, unattainable, or multiple goals. We trained half of the participants to use MCII and treated the rest as control. Experiment 1 (N = 261) underscored the role of autonomous motivation in nurturing adaptive cognitive appraisals and coping mechanisms, which facilitated persistence and progress with a difficult but attainable goal. In contrast, controlled motives undermined striving by predicting threat appraisals and giving up coping. MCII training ameliorated the negative impact of controlled motivation on goal striving by reducing threat appraisals. In Experiment 2 (N = 391), we manipulated the task to make the initial goal unattainable. Strategic goal striving (disengagement from the unattainable goal followed by reengagement with an alternative goal) was facilitated by MCII and autonomous goal motives, and culminated in increases in positive affect. In Experiment 3 (N = 432), we extended these findings to a multiple-goal setting. The research further develops the literatures on self-regulation and self-determination, while having implications for life domains where individuals pursue multiple and/or difficult goals.
Text
Ridell et al., 2022, JASP
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
J Applied Social Pyschol - 2022 - Riddell - Goal motives and mental contrasting with implementation intentions facilitate
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 25 July 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 August 2022
Published date: November 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
This project was funded by an Australian Research Council grant (DP200101555) awarded to the authors (PI: Ntoumanis). Open access publishing facilitated by Curtin University, as part of the Wiley ‐ Curtin University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Funding Information:
This project was funded by an Australian Research Council grant (DP200101555) awarded to the authors (PI: Ntoumanis). Open access publishing facilitated by Curtin University, as part of the Wiley - Curtin University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Keywords:
goal motives, goal disengagement, goal reengagement, multiple goal pursuit, mental contrasting with implementation intentions
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 469070
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/469070
ISSN: 0021-9029
PURE UUID: fcd733fd-6ebd-4a25-b86e-8d76f27aa235
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 06 Sep 2022 18:08
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:27
Export record
Altmetrics
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
