Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
Published on: April 18, 2017
The motivational properties of hope in goal striving
1a Department of Social Psychology , Tilburg University , Tilburg , The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We argue that hope is not an expectancy based on beliefs about pathways to desired goals and personal capacities to act on them, but an experience of the mere possibility of a desired outcome. We propose that in the latter sense, hope has unique motivational consequences for goal striving. Specifically, we predicted that hope buffers against the detrimental impact of negative feedback on goal-progress. The results of the two studies confirmed this prediction. In Study 1, we measured participants' hopes of attaining a weight-loss goal. In Study 2, we induced hope at solving an unsolvable mathematical puzzle. In both studies, receiving negative feedback on goal-progress resulted in lower levels of success (Study 1) and persistence (Study 2) in goal-striving, but not for participants who experienced hope. We discuss the role of hope as an affective mechanism that functions to regulate energy expenditure in goal-striving.
Related Concept Videos
Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation
Power motivation is characterized by the desire to influence, control, or have an impact on others. It is shaped by an individual's experiences, social environment, and cultural context. People with high power motivation are...
Unrealistic Optimism Bias
Motivational Cycle
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
The theory differentiates between...

