The Small-Area Hypothesis: Effects of Progress Monitoring on Goal Adherence

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This article examines a small-area hypothesis: individuals striving toward a goal end state exhibit greater motivation when their attention is directed to whichever is smaller in size-their accumulated or remaining progress. The result is that, at the beginning of goal pursuit, directing attention to accumulated progress increases goal adherence relative to directing attention to remaining progress (e.g., 20% completed is more impactful than 80% remaining). However, with closeness to the goal, directing attention to accumulated progress lessens goal adherence relative to directing attention to remaining progress (e.g., 20% remaining is more impactful than 80% completed; studies 1-2). The focus on small areas increases motivation by creating an illusion of fast progress (study 3). Therefore, when individuals wish to prolong goal pursuit and avoid reaching the goal's end state, they slow down goal adherence when their attention is directed to small areas (study 4). The University of Chicago Press

Three sources of motivation

“…In this case, the first action accomplishes 100% of the progress to date, whereas the second action accomplishes only 50% of the progress to date (Bonezzi, Brendl, & De Angelis, 2011). In one study, Koo and Fishbach (2012) provided participants with a frequent-buyer card ("buy 10 get 1 free") that manipulated goal progress and focus on the beginning versus end stage of goal pursuit. Cards drawing participants' attention to the beginning stages featured three stamps for the low progress condition and seven stamps for high progress.…”

“…For example, people who naturally enjoy typing emails would be more motivated to respond to their 376 emails than those who intrinsically dislike this activity-even if both groups recognize the external benefits of being responsive. Education researchers have long linked improved academic performance to greater intrinsic motivation F I G U R E 2 Motivation as a function of level of progress and focus on accumulated versus remaining purchases to receive a reward (Koo & Fishbach, 2012) Focus: Accumulating 7 (Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Ryan, 1991;Lepper, Corpus, & Iyengar, 2005;Pintrich & De Groot, 1990). In other goal domains, Woolley and Fishbach (2017) found that the extent to which people enjoyed pursuing a goal was a better predictor of their persistence at following through with their New Year's resolutions, and their goals to study and exercise, than was the extent to which people felt these goals were important for them.…”

How to motivate yourself and others? Intended and unintended consequences

“…The psychophysics explanation underlying the goal gradient effect makes another prediction as well: the ''small area hypothesis'' (Koo & Fishbach, 2012). This hypothesis suggests that for goals with a clear end state, individuals will exhibit greater motivation when they focus on their completed progress at the beginning and their lack of progress toward the end.…”

“…Up to the midpoint (50%) of a goal, attention to completed actions increases motivation more than attention to remaining actions. Beyond the midpoint, this pattern reverses such that attention to remaining actions increases motivation more than attention to completed actions (Bonezzi, Brendl, & Angelis, 2011;Koo & Fishbach, 2012).…”

“…Participants were diners in a sushi restaurant that offered a buffet lunch menu and for four months offered a reward program in the format of ''buy 10 meals, get one free.' ' Koo and Fishbach (2012) manipulated the focus on accumulated versus remaining progress by providing customers with a frequent buyer card on which they either received a stamp for each meal purchase (i.e., focus on accumulated progress) or had a slot removed for each meal purchase (i.e., focus on remaining progress). Those who were close to receiving a free lunch were more likely to return to the restaurant, returned sooner, and brought more people with them if they attended to the number of purchases remaining (small area) versus completed (large area) to get the reward.…”