Deck 8: Goal Setting and Goal Striving

Question 1

When the person pursues a goal that is wholeheartedly accepted, embraced, and owned by the self vs.forced to pursue an uninteresting or not-valued goal is an issue of:
(a)goal concordance
(b)goal discrepancy
(c)goal implementation
(d)goal specificity

Answer 1

A

Question 2

TOTE unit-Test, Operate, Test, Exit-is a cognitive mechanism that explains how ____energize and direct motivated action.
(a)attributions
(b)goals
(c)implementation intentions
(d)plans

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A goal is:
(a)a clear statement of what to do, when to do it, and where to do it.
(b)a decision-making process to overcome personal deficiencies.
(c)information about how well versus how poorly one is doing on a task.
(d)whatever the individual is trying to accomplish.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

____is a "messy construct" that functions as an umbrella construct to unite together beliefs, expectations, goals, plans, mindsets, values, and self-concept.
(a)Cognition
(b)Drive
(c)Mentalism
(d)Personality

Question 5

The motivational spring to action that results when a person's present state falls short of their hoped-for ideal is referred to as a(n):
(a)attribution.
(b)cognitive interruption.
(c)discrepancy.
(d)displacement.

Question 6

Corrective motivation is an improvement over the concept of a plan because it:
(a)mimics a computer simulation of persistence.
(b)emphasizes that behavior can and does change over time.
(c)emphasizes that difficult-to-accomplish plans energize greater motivation than easy-to-accomplish plans.
(d)emphasizes that plans, like behaviors, are modifiable and can change in response to circumstances.

Question 7

In the pursuit of a goal, a person experiences positive emotions and feelings when the:
(a)goal is set.
(b)goal-performance discrepancy fluctuates.
(c)person adopts a viable implementation intention.
(d)rate of progress is better than expected.

Question 8

Discrepancy reduction corresponds to _____-based motivation; discrepancy creation corresponds to _____-based motivation.
(a)approach; avoidance
(b)avoidance; approach
(c)goal; plan
(d)plan; goal

Question 9

The cognitive mechanism by which plans energize and direct behavior is the:
(a)cognitive map.
(b)goal gradient.
(c)interaction of expectancies and values.
(d)TOTE unit.

Question 10

When one's current GPA is several points lower than the GPA one had wished for at the beginning of the school year, what sort of motivational construct comes into existence?
(a)arousal
(b)difference
(c)discrepancy
(d)dissonance

Question 11

People with specific goals outperform people with vague goals. This is because specific goals:
(a)are created by people who have more persistence.
(b)have more implementation intention.
(c)deal with mental simulations of successful outcomes.
(d)reduce ambiguity in thought and variability in performance.

Question 12

___refer to how clearly a goal informs the performer precisely what he or she is to do.
(a)Goal concordance
(b)Goal discrepancy
(c)Goal implementation
(d)Goal specificity

Question 13

A ___theory of motivation focuses on mental processes as "springs to action" that energize and direct behavior in purposive ways.
(a)biological
(b)cognitive
(c)personality
(d)social

Question 14

A ___is a future-focused cognitive representation of a desired end state that guides behavior.
(a)discrepancy
(b)goal
(c)simulation
(d)strategy

Question 15

Without ____, goals can be emotionally unimportant and uninvolving.
(a)feedback
(b)goal difficulty
(c)goal specificity
(d)self-reflection

Question 16

If four people were performing sit-ups, goal-setting theory predicts that the person who would perform the most sit-ups would be the person with _goal.
(a)no
(b)an easy
(c)a moderately difficult
(d)a difficult
(e)an impossibly difficult

Question 17

Which of the following is not a way in which goal-setting improves performance? Goal-setting:
(a)decreases stress.
(b)directs the individual's attention to the task.
(c)increases persistence.
(d)mobilizes effort.

Question 18

Specific, difficult, and concordant goals enhance performance, but an additional variable that is crucial to allow goals to translate into effective performance is:
(a)concrete intentions.
(b)extrinsic motivation.
(c)feedback.
(d)internal attributions for success.

Question 19

_________revolve(s) around a flexible decision-making process in which the individual considers many different ways to reduce incongruities between a present state and an ideal state.
(a)Cognitive dissonance
(b)Corrective motivation
(c)Implementation intentions
(d)A possible self

Question 20

People with difficult goals outperform people with easy goals. This is so because people with difficult goals show greater:
(a)effort and persistence.
(b)interest, intrinsic motivation, and implementation intentions.
(c)mental simulations of successful outcomes.
(d)on-task attention and strategic planning.

Question 21

Explain why corrective motivation is an improved construct over the TOTE unit as the basic motivational principle underlying plan-motivated behavior.

Question 22

Goal disengagement is:
(a)a future-focused desire to accomplish a desired end-state.
(b)becoming passive in one's effort while still holding on to the dream that the goal represents.
(c)if-then plan.
(d)the reduction of effort and goal commitment.

Question 23

Which of the following statements best reflects an effective implementation intention?
(a)"If I focus clearly on my goal, I will be able to attain it."
(b)"If I believe in my goal and rehearse it coming true, I will be able to attain it."
(c)"When I create choices among my goals, I will have the flexibility to succeed."
(d)"When I encounter situation X, I will perform behavior Y."

Question 24

A synonym for "implementation intention" is:
(a)achievement motivation
(b)goal
(c)if-then plan
(d)performance

Question 25

Diagram a TOTE unit and describe how it models and explains plan-motivated behavior.

Question 26

Implementation intentions are effective in goal-setting pursuits because they:
(a)buffer performers against falling prey to volitional problems.
(b)create energy and direction for behavior that plans and goals cannot generate.
(c)promote performance-approach goals and minimize performance-avoidance goals.
(d)reduce the debilitating aspects of performance-approach goals.

Question 27

Use the two terms present state and ideal state to outline how plans motivate behavior.

Question 28

Outline the basic assumptions of the cognitive perspective on motivation by discussing how mental events can serve as a "spring to action" that energizes and directs action.

Question 29

Discuss the difference between the two types of goal-performance discrepancies: discrepancy reduction and discrepancy creation.

Question 30

Which of the following is a good example of an effective implementation intention?
(a)"I will decide which goal I should pursue."
(b)"If I can accomplish my goal, then I will be happy."
(c)"If I see that the television is on, then I will ignore it."
(d)"When I am feeling low (distressed), I will set a goal."

Question 31

People who write down when and where they will carry out their goal-striving behavior are more likely to actually attain their goals than people who set the same goal but do not write down how they will do it. The motivational construct that explains this effect is:
(a)the attributional analysis.
(b)the goal.
(c)the implementation intention.
(d)personal striving.

Question 32

As one strives to attain a goal, taking the time necessary to plan how, when, where, and for how long one will carry out goal-directed behavior:
(a)is critical if one is to adopt a mastery goal and to avoid a performance-avoidance goal.
(b)represents an integral part of the goal-acceptance process.
(c)represents the power of positive thinking, as represented by the advice to "visualize success."
(d)represents the setting of implementation intentions.

Question 33

Empirical research on the relationship between goal-setting and intrinsic motivation suggests that ___is(are) the key variable that determines whether short-term or long-term goals increase intrinsic motivation.
(a)goal commitment
(b)goal difficulty
(c)opportunities for challenge
(d)the performer's initial level of interest in the activity

Question 34

Goal setting has its advantages, but it also has been criticized. Which of the following is not a valid criticism of goal-setting theory?
(a)Goal setting can increase stress in performers.
(b)Goal setting can put the performer's task-related intrinsic motivation at risk of declining.
(c)Goal setting creates goal conflict when people pursue multiple goals at the same time.
(d)Goal setting works best (enhances performance)on relatively uninteresting tasks.
(e)Goal setting's effectiveness is limited to performance on complex tasks.

Question 35

Which of the following goal disengagement strategies is the only one that typically leads to greater psychological well-being?
(a)adopt a new, alternative goal
(b)recruit greater social support in one's goal pursuit
(c)set a more difficult goal
(d)try harder

Question 36

Many people with long-term goals, such as becoming a doctor, eventually abandon their long-term goal pursuit.The essential motivational problem with long-term goals is that they:
(a)are incompatible with implementation intentions, which are crucial for goal attainment over a long period of time.
(b)focus the performer on what to do rather than on when to do it.
(c)ignore the importance of key factors of performance such as coaching and training.
(d)provide insufficient opportunity for performance feedback and positive reinforcement.

Question 37

_create a type of close-mindedness that narrows one's focus of attention to include goal-directed action but to exclude distractions and interruptions.
(a)Attributions
(b)Goals
(c)Implementation intentions
(d)Personal strivings

Question 38

All goal-setting programs begin with the question:
(a)Do you have access to proper training, coaching, and resources?
(b)What, when, where, and how long?
(c)What do you want to accomplish?
(d)What have you done successfully in the past?

Question 39

Imagine a person raking a yard full of leaves.The raker wants to remove all of these leaves by the end of the day.Explain how a plan motivates the worker's persistent effort.

Question 40

Implementation intentions:
(a)are part of an "if-then" plan that specifies in advance the goal-striving process.
(b)generate a mixture between approach and avoidance motivation.
(c)support self-theories of motivation.
(d)work to generate motivation because they ensure that distractions won't occur.

Question 41

Explain why self-concordant goals energize and direct goal-directed behavior better than
do non-self-concordant goals by providing both an example and an explanation of why
self-concordant goals energize and direct action.

Question 42

Goal setting has its advantages, but it also has its fair share of limitations and criticisms. Summarize the concerns about and criticisms of goal setting as a motivational strategy.

Question 43

Differentiate the motivational and performance-based advantages versus disadvantages
for performers who adopt a short-term goal (e.g., eat less than 2000 calories today) versus performers who adopt a long-term goal (e.g.,.lose 20 pounds this year) and offer a recommendation as to whether performers should adopt a short-term or a long-term goal.Explain/justify your recommendation.

Question 44

Explain why the setting of implementation intentions is such an important part of a
successful goal-setting program.

Question 45

Explain why specific goals direct goal-directed behavior better than do vague goals by
providing both an example and an explanation of why specific goals direct action.

Question 46

In experiments testing the effectiveness of implementation intentions, people who
set implementation intentions actually carry out and attain their goals more than
people who do not set implementation intentions. Explain why.

Question 47

Explain what is meant by the statement that implementation intentions create a type of
close-mindedness that narrows one's attention toward goal-directed action and away from
distractions and interruptions.

Question 48

Outline a full goal-setting program-that is, outline how goal setting and goal striving
work together to help people accomplish the goals they wish to accomplish.

Question 49

Explain the important role that feedback plays in explaining how and why goals enhance performance.

Question 50

What is an implementation intention (define it).
Provide an example of an effective implementation intention.
Explain why your example of an effective implementation intention can be expected to increase the probability of goal attainment.

Question 51

Sometimes goal disengagement leads to increased psychological distress, and
sometimes goal disengagement leads to increased psychological well-being.
Explain how and why goal disengagement can lead to both of these outcomes.

Question 52

Difficult, specific, and concordant goals enhance performance in ways that easy, vague, and non-concordant goals do not.Identify the four goal mechanisms that explain why difficult, specific, and concordant goals enhance performance.(Perhaps use the example of these four goal mechanisms with the student's goal of "read 100 pages".)

Question 53

Explain why difficult goals energize goal-directed behavior better than do easy goals
by providing both an example and an explanation of why difficult goals energize action.