The effects of an enhanced goal setting strategy on goal progress and well-being

Abstract

Although the benefits of difficult, specific goal setting on performance are well-documented (e.g., Locke & Latham, 1990), it remains unclear how anticipatory action planning may enhance these effects. The current study investigates the effects of an enhanced goal setting training intervention using smartphone technology on self-reported goal progress and well-being as well as the moderating effects of individual differences in action orientation/state orientation (ASO). Ultimately, neither the enhanced nor the control strategy boosted goal progress nor did ASO moderate the intervention. Unexpectedly, participants receiving the enhanced strategy reported significantly less positive affect up to one week after using the strategy despite making equivalent goal progress to participants in the control condition. Results are discussed in terms of the efficacy of enhanced goal setting on performance, well-being, exploratory post-hoc tests, and in relation to previous results obtained by Fishbach and Hofmann (2015).