Individual differences in goal adjustment: convergence and divergence among three theoretical models

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Individual differences in managing unattainable goals are explained by three goal adjustment processes.
• These include accommodative coping, compensatory secondary coping, and goal disengagement/reengagement.
• Understanding these processes is crucial for well-being and emotion regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptually and empirically analyze convergences and divergences between three goal adjustment approaches.
• To examine their relationships with well-being indicators.
• To explore intersections with cognitive emotion regulation.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional online survey with 433 participants (mean age 28.9 years, 50% female).
• Structural equation modeling was used to analyze relationships between goal adjustment processes, well-being, and emotion regulation.
• Conceptual analysis of theoretical approaches was also conducted.

Main Results:

• Clear convergences and divergences were found between the three goal adjustment approaches.
• Accommodative coping demonstrated the strongest positive correlations with well-being and cognitive emotion regulation.
• Goal disengagement showed opposing relationships with most well-being measures, while goal reengagement had some positive associations.

Conclusions:

• Accommodative coping appears to be a key factor in promoting well-being.
• Goal disengagement may negatively impact well-being, contrasting with goal reengagement.
• Future research should further investigate these goal adjustment processes and their implications.