The Moderating Effect of Performance Feedback and the Mediating Effect of Self‐Set Goals on the Primed Goal‐Performance Relationship

Abstract

The effect of feedback and a self‐set goal on the relationship between a goal primed in the subconscious and performance were examined in three laboratory experiments and one field experiment (n = 241, 465, 201, 74 respectively), using normative (bogus) and absolute feedback manipulations, and different performance tasks that were coded for both performance quality (i.e. creativity) and quantity. The hypothesis that providing feedback, a moderator in goal setting theory, amplifies the causal effect of a primed goal on performance was supported. Specifically, in experiment 1, participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (prime of effective vs. ineffective performance) × 3 (positive, negative, no feedback) factorial design. The primed goal for effective performance led to higher performance than the negative primed goal. In addition, feedback, regardless of its sign, increased both task and creative performance when a primed goal for effective performance was presented, but did not do so when the goal primed ineffective performance. This effect was replicated in two subsequent laboratory experiments which employed three primed goal conditions (effective/neutral/ineffective). In experiments 2 and 3, a consciously set goal, with no prompting by an experimenter, mediated the relationship between a primed goal and performance when feedback was provided. Experiment 4 provided a conceptual replication in a work setting, involving employees in a customer service department of a large communication company. Finally, a meta‐analysis of these four experiments indicated an average effect size of d = 0.36, 95 per cent CI [0.23, 0.49] with no evidence of heterogeneity across the four experiments. These findings suggest that not only are subconscious goals a foundation for the difficulty level of consciously set goals, but in addition subconscious goals and conscious goals work together in affecting performance.

The Effect of a Context‐Specific Primed Goal on Goal Commitment and Team Performance

“…With regard to moderators, three laboratory experiments and a field experiment in the workplace showed that, consistent with goal setting theory, feedback moderated the effect of a goal on performance (Itzchakov & Latham, in press). Similar to Latham et al (), Itzchakov and Latham (in press) also found that subconscious goals are a foundation for the setting of consciously set goals.…”

The Weary Founder: Sleep Problems, ADHD-Like Tendencies, and Entrepreneurial Intentions

“…As a way of testing our hypotheses holistically, we followed Goh, Hall, and Rosenthal's (2016) recommendation to conduct a mini meta-analysis of our studies (cf. Itzchakov & Latham, 2018). Following Goh et al, we performed a separate random-effects meta-analysis for each regression path in our model (testing H1-H3).…”

An Examination of the Moderating Effect of Core Self‐Evaluations and the Mediating Effect of Self‐Set Goals on the Primed Goal‐Task Performance Relationship

“…This research also found that the degree of difficulty connoted by a prime (i.e., weight lifting) affected the conscious choice of a difficult versus an easy goal, as well as the effort expended to perform it, two mediators in GST. In both that experiment and the experiment involving performance feedback (Itzchakov & Latham, 2019), a self‐set goal mediated the primed goal‐performance effect.…”

“…Causal additive effects for these two goals, conscious and subconscious, have been found in both laboratory (e.g., Ganegoda, Latham, & Folger, ; Stajkovic, Locke, & Blair, ) and field experiments (e.g., Shantz & Latham, , ; Stajkovic, Latham, Sergent, & Peterson, ). GST moderators such as performance feedback and goal commitment have been shown to moderate the primed goal‐performance relationship (Itzchakov & Latham, 2019; Latham, Hu, & Brcic, 2019, respectively).…”