Changes in affect during the pursuit of performance goals

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Affective Science
• Motivation

Background:

• Understanding affective changes during goal pursuit is crucial for motivation theories.
• The circumplex model of affect provides a framework for analyzing emotional states based on pleasure and activation.
• Existing theories, such as self-regulation theory and core affect theory, offer competing predictions for affective shifts during goal pursuit.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how affective states change during the pursuit of performance goals.
• To test hypotheses derived from self-regulation theory and core affect theory regarding affective dynamics.
• To determine whether changes in goal attainment prospects or task demands primarily drive affective shifts.

Main Methods:

• Two empirical studies were conducted involving participants rating their momentary affect during goal pursuit.
• A latent change model was employed to analyze the direction and magnitude of affective changes.
• The model differentiated affective changes attributable to goal attainment prospects versus task demands.

Main Results:

• Findings were more consistent with the predictions of core affect theory.
• Changes in the prospects of goal attainment were associated with shifts in pleasure.
• Increases in task demands were linked to changes in activation.

Conclusions:

• The study supports the core affect account of affective changes during goal pursuit.
• Results suggest that distinct factors influence pleasure and activation dimensions of affect.
• Implications for developing integrative theories of motivation and affect are discussed.