Individual differences in reactions to goal-performance discrepancies over time

The impact of goal progress and individual differences on self‐regulation in training

“…The second GPD (“Time 2 GPD”) was computed by subtracting their revised goal set on the fourth day of training from their performance at the end of the seventh day of training. Consistent with past research and self‐regulatory frameworks (e.g., Converse et al, ; Donovan & Williams, ; Lord, et al, ; Williams et al, ), negative GPD scores indicate the representative was performing below their performance goal, while positive GPD scores indicate individuals were surpassing their goal…”

“…As a result, it is unclear as to whether the self‐regulatory processes that occur in the workplace are consistent with those observed in settings where individuals perform tasks that may hold little long‐term meaning for them (e.g., students performing a task in a laboratory setting). Second, research to date on the effects of GPDs has focused exclusively on their impact on either goal revision or effort expenditure rather than addressing how both may be used simultaneously, despite initial evidence that individuals use both to address a given GPD (Converse et al, ). Finally, given the relatively small number of studies examining this topic published to date, questions remain regarding the extent to which the findings observed thus far represent stable, generalizable relationships that can be assumed to exist across settings and populations.…”

“…Research on reactions to GPDs has demonstrated that individuals are sensitive to GPDs, and that a common response to GPDs is to revise one's goal; individuals surpassing their goal tend to raise their goal for future performance while individuals that do not reach their goal tend to lower subsequent goals (e.g., Campion & Lord, ; Converse et al, ; Donovan & Williams, ; Tolli & Schmidt, ; Williams, Donovan, & Dodge, ). Similarly, past research indicates individuals receiving feedback that they did not reach their goal tend to exert more effort during subsequent performance to reduce their GPD (e.g., Bandura & Cervone, ; Campion & Lord, ; Converse et al, ; Matsui, Okada, & Inoshita, ).…”

“…Although the use of difference scores is accompanied by limitations (e.g., Edwards, 1994), we felt that the use of such scores were justified given that they closely fit the conceptualization of GPDs and goal revision forwarded by most models of self‐regulation, and that they have been used successfully in a number of previous studies (e.g., Campion & Lord, ; Converse et al, , Donovan & Williams, ; Kernan & Lord, ).…”

The influence of perceived accountability and outcome interdependence on goals and effort

“…Empirical findings have generally been consistent with this proposal. For example, Campion and Lord () found that both magnitude and frequency of failure were related to subsequent increases in reported effort (see also Bandura & Cervone, ; Converse et al., ). This work therefore indicates a negative relationship between performance and subsequent effort, with lower performance associated with higher subsequent effort and higher performance associated with lower subsequent effort.…”