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Tag, you're it: affect tagging promotes goal formation and selection
Eliza Bliss-Moreau1, Lisa A Williams2
1Brain, Mind, and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616. eblissmoreau@ucdavis.edu http://www.elizablissmoreau.com.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|April 30, 2014
Summary
Affective processes, or emotions, play a key role in how we form and select goals. This research suggests emotions tag behaviors, aiding goal formation and guiding choices between competing goals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Huang & Bargh's theory provides a foundation for understanding goal pursuit.
- Existing theories may not fully capture the role of affect in goal formation and selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a complementary view on goal formation and selection, emphasizing the role of affect.
- To suggest that affect "tags" behaviors, facilitating goal formation.
- To propose that affect guides the selection between competing goals, such as short-term versus long-term objectives.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical review and conceptual analysis building upon existing psychological frameworks.
- Integration of affective science principles with goal-setting theories.
Main Results:
- Affective tagging of behaviors is proposed as a mechanism for goal formation.
- Affect associated with goals is suggested to aid in resolving conflicts between competing goals.
Conclusions:
- Affect is integral to both the formation and selection of goals.
- This affective framework offers a novel perspective on goal-directed behavior.
- Future research should explore the empirical validation of affect's role in goal processes.
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