Expectancy theory prediction of the goal theory postulate, "The harder the goals, the higher the performance."

Abstract

Goal theory postulates, that harder goals lead to higher performance than do easier goals. The present study tested the prediction, based on expectancy valence theory, that this would be true only if the payoff for succeeding at the harder goal is sufficiently greater than the alternatives to compensate for its greater difficulty. Sixty-three undergraduates were each given an easy and a hard task/ goal, requiring the comparison of paired sets of three-digit numbers. Expectancy theory measures for the two goals were obtained from the subjects. Performance was higher for the hard goal than for the easy goal, supporting the goal theory postulate. Force was also higher for the hard goal than for the easy goal. In addition, force change across the two goals was associated with performance change, supporting the conclusion that expectancy valence theory can predict the goal theory postulate. The valence of goal attainment was higher for the hard goal than for the easy goal. Valence change across the two goals was associated with performance change to a greater degree than was expectancy change, suggesting that the attained performance difference can be attributed to the valence difference.

Irrational time allocation in decision-making

“…If this intrinsic value was higher for hard problems, as research on achievement motivation indeed suggests (e.g. [70]), this could explain why subjects might allocate more time to them. However, note that this cannot explain why subjects' behaviour improved post-intervention (nor can it explain the lack of a difference between payment schemes documented in study 3, which is Points earned by n ¼ 40 subjects in each of the five blocks.…”

A meta-analytic study of the effects of goal setting on task performance: 1966–1984

“…This instruction may serve to artifactually inflate the goal difflculty-performance relationship as noted by Bavelas and Lee (1978). Six studies were eliminated from the analysis due to use of a within-subjects as opposed to a between-subjects experimental design Locke, Cartledge, & Knerr, 1970-the first four studies; and Matsui, Okada, & Mizuguchi, 1981). Green and Hall (1984) have cautioned that it is incorrect and inappropriate to include data from a withinsubjects design into a meta-analysis since effect sizes cannot be accurately computed.…”

Expectancy, valence, and motivational force functions in goal-setting research: An empirical test.

“…In the work motivation literature, Naylor, Pritchard, and IIgen (1980); Naylor and Ilgen (1984); Pritchard, Jones, Roth, Stuebing, and Ekeberg (1988);and Mento and Locke (1989) have discussed valence functions of exactly this type. Although expectancy functions per se have not been discussed in the goal-setting literature, several researchers (Garland, 1984;Matsui, Okada, & Mizuguchi, 1981) have reported negative relations between expectations and task goal levels, consistent with the hypothesized shape of the function. That expectancy and valence judgments take these forms is also a basic assumption of achievement motivation theory (Atkinson, 1958(Atkinson, , 1974Atkinson & Birch, 1970;Atkinson & Feather, 1966), one of several variants of EV theory.…”