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Goal-setting behaviour and coronary heart disease
Insights
This study tested goal-setting behavior in cardiovascular patients. Coronary subjects aligned with Dunbar
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Dunbar's (1943) theory proposes specific goal-setting behaviors in cardiovascular patients.
- Understanding these behaviors is crucial for managing cardiovascular conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test Dunbar's theory on goal-setting behavior.
- To compare goal-setting patterns in coronary, hypertensive, and control subjects.
Main Methods:
- Performance and goal levels were measured in 25 coronary, 25 hypertensive, and 25 control (fracture) subjects.
- Statistical analysis was used to compare goal-setting behaviors across groups.
Main Results:
- Coronary subjects exhibited significantly higher rates of high goals and failure, supporting Dunbar's theory.
- Hypertensive subjects' goal-setting patterns did not significantly differ from controls, though trends aligned with predictions.
Conclusions:
- Dunbar's theory on goal-setting behavior is supported in coronary subjects.
- Further research may be needed to clarify goal-setting patterns in hypertensive individuals.
Abstract:
In order to test Dunbar's (1943) theory about goal-setting behaviour in cardiovascular subjects, measures of performance and goal levels were taken on 25 coronary subjects, 25 hypertensive subjects and a control group of 25 fracture subjects. Ths hypertensive pattern of goal-setting behaviour appeared not significantly discriminated from that of control subjects, although the data were in the direction predicted by Dunbar, hypertensive subjects being higher for success and for low goals. For coronary subjects, the results were in complete agreement with the tested theory, these subjects showing a significantly higher rate of high goals than control subjects, and recording a higher rate of failure.