Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Goals and emotion
What is the relationship between goals and emotion?
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Overview
 Scenario Sarah is an ambitious entrepreneur with a dream of starting a successful business. Sarah is first energised and delighted, motivated by the vision of doing something important. However, as obstacles arise—missed deadlines, financial difficulties, and a lack of sales—her feelings change. Frustration, self-doubt, and worry emerge, threatening to derail her progress. Despite the losses, glimpses of optimism and small successes reignite her enthusiasm, reminding her of why she set this aim in the first place. This emotional journey highlights how goals and emotions are deeply linked. The accomplishment of a significant aim, such as Sarah's, can elicit both positive and negative emotions. These feelings, in turn, impact her dedication to her objective. When Sarah's emotions are strong, her drive can either increase, driving her beyond difficulties, or drop, leading to procrastination and exhaustion.
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The Importance of Goals and Emotions
Goals influence emotional states by instilling expectations and emotional engagement in what is achieved. Emotions may either drive or hinder goal achievement, with good emotions increasing motivation and negative emotions possibly limiting development. Achieving academic goals increases pleasant feelings and self-esteem, but failing can cause negative emotions and diminished motivation. Positive emotions promote goal-directed conduct, whereas negative emotions can either inspire or impede development, depending on their severity. Understanding the relationship between objectives and emotions helps with goal-setting, emotional control and personal growth.
Physiological science provides critical insights into the connection between the body's physical processes and emotional emotions, which can help achieve goals. Individuals who understand the significance of neurotransmitters, hormones, and brain areas in emotional reactions might improve their motivation and stress management skills. Biofeedback, mind-body practices, and personalised therapies can help regulate emotions, sustain attention, and build resilience, all of which are necessary for achieving objectives. Furthermore, physiological research emphasises the significance of rest, recovery, and neuroplasticity in maintaining long-term development and adjusting to difficulties, resulting in more effective and personalised techniques for emotional regulation and goal achievement.
 Focus questions: How do goals influence emotion? How do emotions affect goal pursuit? How can achieving or failing to achieve goals affect one's emotional state? What role do positive and negative emotions play in motivating goal-oriented behaviour? |
Emotion
Emotions are a complex psychological state that involves four distinct components Feelings, Bodily Responses, Sense of Purpose and Expressive Behaviours (Reeve, 2018). Emotion is an intricate psychological construct that connects and organises these four elements of experience into a synchronised pattern. (Reeve, 2018). They are short-lived feelings that arise in response to certain stimuli or situations (Adolphs et al., 2019). Emotions influence our thoughts, behaviours and interactions with others.
Goal setting
Goal Setting fosters accountability and improves decision-making, while boosting self-confidence (Lunenburg, 2011). By establishing clear objectives, individuals can prioritise tasks, track progress, and enhance productivity (Reeve, 2018). Goal setting helps in efficient time management and contribute to personal and professional development by encouraging the acquisition of new skills and overcoming challenges. Difficult goals energise the performer, specific goals direct the performer and self-concordant goals both energise and direct the performer. (Reeve, 2018). Using the SMART criteria ensures that goals are well-defined and feasible, enhancing the likelihood of successful outcomes (Bowman et al., 2015).
Important aspects to consider for goal setting
Goal difficulty = refers to how hard the goal is to accomplish. The harder the goal, the more it motivates the performer (Reeve, 2018). This is because people exert effort in proportion to what the goal requires of them. For example, small goals require minimal effort, medium goals stimulate medium effort, and large goals encourage high effort.
Goal specificity = refers to how clearly a goal informs the performer precisely what they need to do (Reeve, 2018). This is important because specific goals can highlight what an individual needs to do while reducing ambiguity in thought and performance variability. For example, a goal of “work quickly” produces various of performances whereas a goal of “complete the task within 2 minutes” produces a smaller range of performances that revolve around the goal.
Goal congruence = self-congruent goals are ones that align with the individual’s interests, needs and values (Reeve, 2018). They are goals that feel authentic and reflect the individual’s self. These goals are important because it allows the individual to draw from personal resources which motivates goal pursuit (Reeve, 2018).
Difficult, specific and congruent goals enhance performance
Goals do not always necessarily improve performance. Difficult goals excite the performer, whereas precise goals guide the performer. Self-concordant goals energise and direct the performer.
SMART goal framework
Another useful basis for goal setting is the SMART goal framework. Using the SMART criteria ensures that goals are well-defined and feasible, enhancing the likelihood of successful outcomes (Bowman et al., 2015).
| Specific | goals should be clear and specific answering questions of who, what where, when and why to help focus efforts (MacLeod, 2012). |
| Measurable | progress towards the goal should be trackable. This could involve quantifiable indicators that show how close the goal is to being achieved (MacLeod, 2012). |
| Achievable | goals should be realistic and attainable. Challenging enough but not unattainable which could lead to frustration (MacLeod, 2012). |
| Relevant | ensuring the goal matters and aligns with the individuals’ objectives. |
| Time-bound | setting a deadline for the goal. Having a timeframe creates a sense of urgency and helps the individual stay focused (MacLeod, 2012). |
How goals influence emotion
- Puente-Díaz (2013) found that goals can significantly influence emotions by shaping expectations, directing focus, and determining the outcomes that are emotionally significant to an individual.
- When a person sets a goal, they become emotionally invested in its outcome.
- The anticipation of achieving the goal can evoke positive emotions.
- Conversely, the possibility of failure can trigger anxiety, stress, or fear.
- This emotional investment creates a feedback loop where the progress toward the goal continuously influences one's emotional state.
When a person sets a goal, they become emotionally invested in its outcome. The anticipation of achieving the goal can evoke positive emotions or conversely, the possibility of failure can trigger anxiety, stress, or fear. This emotional investment creates a feedback loop where the progress toward the goal continuously influences one's emotional state.
The Control-value theory by Pekrun (2006) suggests that emotions linked to goal achievement arise based on two appraisals
- Control: This refers to how much control or influence a person believes they have in reaching their goal (Pekrun, 2006).
- Value: This refers to the personal emphasis or value an individual places on reaching the objective (Pekrun, 2006).
The Control-value theory recognises that goal effects on emotions are mediated by self-appraisals (Pekrun and Stephens, 2009)
The theory emphasises that positive emotions such as happiness or motivation arise when people believe they have control over a desired objective and anticipate attaining it (Pekrun, 2006). Whereas negative feelings, such as worry, humiliation, or frustration, might occur when a person doubts their ability to achieve a desired objective or encounters difficulties (Pekrun, 2006).
For example, if a student sets a goal of achieving good marks, and feel that they have the capacity (control), and regards high grades as significant (value), they are more likely to experience positive emotions such as motivation and pride while working towards this goal. In contrast, if they appreciate good grades but question their capacity to get them, they may experience worry or powerlessness.
This can be supported by findings from Puente-Díaz (2013) who found that goals have the ability to significantly influence emotions through shaping expectations, directing focus and determining the outcomes that are significant to the individual. Another study from Artino et al. (2012) highlights the importance of incorporating a high degree of control and value in learning environments to further foster motivation to achieve goals for students.
 Key Points
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How emotions can affect goal pursuit
- Findings of Benita et al. (2020) found that Integrative emotion regulation (IER) promotes goal pursuit but suppressive emotion regulation (SER) impedes it.
- Positive emotions, such as enthusiasm and optimism, often enhance motivation and persistence, making it easier to engage in goal-directed behaviors. These emotions can foster creativity, problem-solving, and resilience, which are crucial for overcoming obstacles (Benita et al., 2020).
- On the other hand, negative emotions like anxiety, frustration, or fear can have a dual effect. In some cases, these emotions can serve as a motivator, pushing individuals to work harder to avoid negative outcomes. However, when these emotions become overwhelming, they can impair decision-making, reduce focus, and lead to procrastination or even abandonment of the goal (Benita et al., 2020).
Findings of Benita et al. (2020) found that Integrative emotion regulation (IER) promotes goal pursuit, but suppressive emotion regulation (SER) impedes it. the study found that positive emotions, such as enthusiasm and optimism, often enhance motivation and persistence, making it easier to engage in goal-directed behaviours. These emotions can foster creativity, problem-solving, and resilience, which are crucial for overcoming obstacles (Benita et al., 2020). On the other hand, negative emotions like anxiety, frustration, or fear can have a dual effect. In some cases, these emotions can serve as a motivator, pushing individuals to work harder to avoid negative outcomes. However, when these emotions become overwhelming, they can impair decision-making, reduce focus, and lead to procrastination or even abandonment of the goal (Benita et al., 2020).
This can be compared with the Self-determination theory by Deci and Ryan (1985) who highlight the role on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in goal achievement and emotional experience. The theory recognises autonomy, competence and relatedness and three basic psychological needs. Goals that meet core psychological requirements such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness are likely to elicit good feelings. Intrinsically driven objectives (those pursued for real interest or personal fulfilment) elicit higher levels of pleasant emotion than extrinsically motivated ones. According to the notion, objectives that are in line with one's inner values and sense of self lead to higher levels of emotional well-being.
The theory highlights when people pursue goals that meet their intrinsic needs, they frequently experience joy, happiness, and fulfilment because these goals align with their sense of identity. However, pursuing goals for external motives might elicit contradictory emotions. For example, a person pursuing a promotion may be driven by recognition and financial incentives, but they may also experience stress and anxiety as a result of the pressure to perform.
To apply this, positive emotions increase engagement and perseverance in intrinsically driven objectives, since people feel more content when they meet their needs. Extrinsically driven objectives sometimes involve negative feelings such as guilt or external pressure, which can lead to burnout, decreased motivation, and trouble pursuing goals.
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Key Points
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The emotional impact of achieving goals
The emotional impact of achieving or failing to achieve academic goals is critical in shaping students' motivation, self-efficacy, and overall academic experience. With both successes and failures producing distinct emotional outcomes that can have a significant impact on future performance and engagement.
Academic goals can be defined as particular objectives or aims that students set for their educational success. These goals can include both short-term goals, such as completing assessment tasks on time or increasing marks on a particular subject, and long-term goals such as graduation with a certain degree or achieving academic honours. Academic goals can help direct students focus, effort and motivation shaping their study habits and strategies for success in their academic journey. These goals are closely related to students’ personal goals and can also have a substantial impact on their academic behaviour and performance.
Findings from Seifert (1997) discovered a relationship between emotions and goal orientation. Seifert (1997) emphasised that although environmental factors influence achieving goals, the way students feel about themselves is also a determinant of goal orientation. Results from the study also highlighted that the relationship between students and teachers was an importance factor in fostering feelings of self-assuredness which leads to learning and goal orientation.
More recent studies from Ren et al. (2022) explores this further with results suggesting that student academic goals and emotions can assist in explaining how teacher support affects confidence in their academic abilities. The findings recognise that students who achieve their academic goals often experience heightened levels of satisfaction and confidence, which can further enhance their motivation to pursue future goals. The found relationship between teacher support and self-efficacy emphasises that mediators play a major role in achieving academic goals through emotions. Ren et al. (2022) highlights that students who do not meet their academic objectives may experience a decline in self-esteem and increased stress, potentially leading to academic burnout or disengagement. This underscores the significance of teachers focusing on not just on providing support but also on addressing students' emotions, as these play an important role in their academic success. This study helps us to better understand how teacher support boost’s student’s self-confidence which then leads to motivation to achieve academic goals.
This can be further supported by research from Liu et al. (2019) who found self-efficacy to be a major contributor to the success of students in academic performance. It is also suggested that it may improve university students’ psychological self-adjustment abilities when faced with learning challenges which contributes to supporting student emotions. The study highlights the importance of improving students learning abilities to enhance achievement of academic goals (Liu et al., 2019).
To summarise, the emotional impact of meeting or failing academic goals has a substantial impact on students' motivation, self-esteem, and overall academic experience. Teacher support and emotional control are critical in assisting students to maintain resilience and continue working towards their objectives, especially after failures.
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Key Points
1. Achieving or failing academic objectives has an emotional influence on pupils, altering motivation, self-esteem, and academic performance. 2. Teacher support is critical in developing students' confidence and resilience, which promotes greater goal orientation and perseverance. 3. Self-efficacy is essential for academic achievement because it improves students' capacity to manage problems and control emotions, hence increasing motivation and performance. |
The role of positive and negative emotions in motivating goal-oriented behaviour
- Focusing on personal goals
- Positive emotions enhance one's resilience in the face of challenges, providing the mental and emotional energy needed to stay committed to long-term goals.
- Negative emotions, while often seen as detrimental, can also serve as potent motivators.
- Schroevers et al. (2008) discovered that goal reengagement as well as cognitive emotion-regulation strategies seems to play an important role in cancer patients’ psychological well-being.
- This can be supported with findings from (MacGeorge, 2001) who found that supportive communication can be explained by support providers’ goals
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Key Points
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Figures
- Use figures to illustrate concepts, add interest, and to serve as examples
- Figures can show photos, diagrams, graphs, video, audio, etcetera
- Embed figures throughout the chapter, including the Overview section
- Figures should be captioned (using Figure #. and a caption). Use captions to explain the relevance of the image to the text/
- Wikimedia Commons provides a library of embeddable images
- Images can also be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons if they are openly licensed
- Refer to each figure at least once in the main text (e.g., see Figure 2)
Learning features
Interactive learning features help to bring online book chapters to life and can be embedded throughout the chapter.
- Scenarios
- Scenarios or case studies describe applied/real-world examples of concepts in action
- Case studies can be real or fictional
- A case study could be split into multiple boxes throughout a chapter (e.g., to illustrate different theories or stages)
- It is often helpful to present case studies using feature boxes.
- Feature boxes
- Important content can be highlighted in a feature box. But don't overuse feature boxes, otherwise they lose their effect.
- Consider using feature boxes for:
- Scenarios, case studies, or examples
- Focus questions
- Tips
- Quiz questions
- Take-home messages
- Links
- When key words are introduced, use interwiki links to:
- Wikipedia (e.g., Sigmund Freud wrote about (e.g., dreams) or
- Related book chapters (e.g., writer's block)
- Tables
- Use to organise and summarise information
- As with figures, tables should be captioned
- Refer to each table at least once in the main text (e.g., see Table 1)
- Example 3 x 3 tables which could be adapted
Table 1. Descriptive Caption Which Explains The Table and its Relevant to the Text - Johari Window Model
| Known to self | Not known to self | |
|---|---|---|
| Known to others | Open area | Blind spot |
| Not known to others | Hidden area | Unknown |
- Quizzes
- Using one or two review questions per major section is usually better than a long quiz at the end
- Quiz conceptual understanding, rather than trivia
- Don't make quizzes too hard
- Different types of quiz questions are possible; see Quiz
Example simple quiz questions. Choose your answers and click "Submit":
Check your learning!
Conclusion
- The Conclusion is arguably the most important section
- Suggested word count: 150 to 330 words
- It should be possible for someone to only read the Overview and the Conclusion and still get a pretty good idea of the problem and what is known based on psychological science
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See also
- Goal conflict and emotion (Book chapter, 2014)
- Goal setting techniques (Book chapter, 2018)
- Goal sharing and goal pursuit (Book chapter, 2018)
- Long-term goal achievement (Book chapter, 2016)
References
Bowman, J., Mogensen, L., Marsland, E., & Lannin, N. (2015). The development, content validity and inter-rater reliability of the SMART-Goal evaluation method: A standardised method for evaluating clinical goals. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62(6), 420–427. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12218
Izard, C. E. (2019). Emotion Theory and Research: Highlights, Unanswered Questions, and Emerging Issues. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163539
Lunenburg, F. C. (2011). Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, and ADMINISTRATION, 15(1).
MacGeorge, E. (2001). Support providers’ interaction goals: the influence of attributions and emotions. Communication Monographs, 68(1), 72–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750128050
Puente-Díaz, R. (2013). Achievement Goals and Emotions. The Journal of Psychology, 147(3), 245–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.683893
Reeve, J. M. (2018). Understanding motivation and emotion (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ren, X., Jing, B., Li, H., & Wu, C. (2022). The impact of perceived teacher support on Chinese junior high school students’ academic self-efficacy: The mediating roles of achievement goals and academic emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1028722
Schroevers, M., Kraaij, V., & Garnefski, N. (2008). How do cancer patients manage unattainable personal goals and regulate their emotions/. British Journal of Health Psychology, 13(3), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910707x241497
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External links
- A complete guide to goal setting (Youtube, 2018)
- How to write SMART goals (Atlassian, 2023)
- Why the secret to success is setting the right goals (TED talk, 2018)