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Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

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Published on: April 18, 2017

Dynamics of multiple-goal pursuit.

Maria J Louro¹, Rik Pieters, Marcel Zeelenberg

¹Tilburg University, Department of Marketing, Tilburg, Netherlands.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

|July 25, 2007

Summary

Individuals adjust effort in multiple-goal pursuit based on emotions and goal proximity. Positive and negative emotions influence behavior differently depending on how close goals are, impacting effort allocation and goal switching.

Area of Science:

Psychology
Behavioral Economics
Cognitive Science

Background:

Understanding how individuals manage multiple goals is crucial for explaining volitional behavior.
Existing models often struggle to integrate emotional influences and temporal dynamics in goal pursuit.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose and test a novel model of multiple-goal pursuit.
To investigate how emotions and goal proximity jointly influence effort allocation and goal switching over time.

Main Methods:

A longitudinal diary study was conducted.
Two experimental studies were employed to test the model's predictions.
The research examined emotional feedback from goal progress and proximity to future attainment.

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Main Results:

Emotional valence (positive/negative) and goal proximity interact to determine behavioral responses (effort increase, coasting, abandonment, switching).
Changes in expectancies for goal attainment proximally influence decisions.
Findings reconcile conflicting theories on emotion's role in goal-directed behavior.

Conclusions:

The proposed model offers a dynamic framework for understanding multiple-goal pursuit.
The study critically amends the goal gradient hypothesis by incorporating emotional and expectancy factors.
New insights are provided into the complex interplay of emotions, progress, and expectancies in sustained goal pursuit.