Lecture 2: Setting SMARTER Goals

Question 1

self-control and pursuing goals

Answer 1

Pursuing a new goal requires self-control and typically, we don’t have it

Question 2

can we have conflicting goals?

Answer 2

We can, but to be productive, we have to make sure that our goals aren’t in conflict with each other

Question 3

which ingredients of self-control come more easily?

Answer 3

standards and monitoring come fairly easily, but overcoming our self-control strength limitations is more difficult

Question 4

ego-depletion paradigm

Answer 4

if people do consecutive self-control tasks, they perform poorer on the second task

Question 5

what tasks is the ego-depletion paradigm present for?

Answer 5

all self-control tasks, even if they’re very different from each other

Question 6

implications of ego depletion research

Answer 6

• The self-control as a limited resource hypothesis remains tenable
• Mediation by glucose seems untenable

Question 7

smaart goals

Answer 7

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Approach-oriented
Realistic
Time-framed

Question 8

what does it mean for a goal to be acheivable?

Answer 8

it’s under your control

Question 9

why is it best for goals to be approach-oriented?

Answer 9

It’s easier to find the path to approach something than to avoid something

Question 10

what does it mean for a goal to be realistic?

Answer 10

optimally challenging

Question 11

2 types of time-framed goals

Answer 11

distal & proximal goals

Question 12

distal goal

Answer 12

a distant goal you care about, but doesn’t motivate you day-to-day

Question 13

proximal goal

Answer 13

objectives that are achievable in the short term

Question 14

how can we reach more of our personal goals?

Answer 14

• Don’t pursue too many goals at the same time
• Frame our goal pursuits in a SMAART way
• Try to boost your beliefs of self-efficacy so that you are ready to achieve the goal
• Augment the goals with implementation plans

Question 15

self-efficacy

Answer 15

beliefs about your ability to successfully perform certain actions

Question 16

self-efficacy vs. self-esteem & ability

Answer 16

Not the same thing as self-esteem or actual ability

Question 17

self-esteem vs. extraversion

Answer 17

Self-esteem is correlated with extraversion but they aren’t the same thing

Question 18

what’s the optimal amount of self-efficacy?

Answer 18

It’s good to have self-efficacy that’s a little higher than your actual abilities

Question 19

benefits of self-efficacy

Answer 19

• Focus your attention more effectively
• Exert more effort
• Optimism in the face of obstacles

Question 20

boosting self-efficacy study method (Koestner et al. 2006)

Answer 20

• Had participants report their most important NY resolution
• They randomly assigned participants to the neutral or self-efficacy boost condition
• They asked participants to rate the extent to which they possess the resources and skills necessary to attain their New Year’s resolution on a 9-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 9 (very much)
• Participants rated their goal progress and self-efficacy after 1 month

Question 21

neutral condition (Koestner et al. 2006) boosting self-efficacy study

Answer 21

list 3 possible outcomes to attain and 3 negative outcomes to avoid

Question 22

Self-efficacy boost condition (Koestner et al. 2006) boosting self-efficacy study

Answer 22

write about
1) A goal they had already achieved that was similar
2) An individual similar to themselves who already attained the same goal
3) An individual who could encourage them in their pursuit

Question 23

boosting self-efficacy study findings (Koestner et al. 2006)

Answer 23

people in the self-efficacy boost condition made greater progress, which was linked to a change in self-efficacy

Question 24

importance of implementation plans

Answer 24

• Goal intentions alone do not guarantee success of actions
• Goal-setting should be followed by planning

Question 25

implementation plan

Answer 25

an if-then plan that specifies where, when, and how the behaviour will lead to the achievement of the goal

Question 26

example of an implementation plan

Answer 26

bringing a plastic water bottle to work, setting it on your desk, and refilling it when you go to the bathroom to remind yourself to drink enough water

Question 27

implementation study method (Clear 2018)

Answer 27

• Randomized control study in the university setting
• Recruited 248 students who wanted to increase their levels of weekly exercise
• Divided participants into 3 conditions

Question 28

implementation study conditions (Clear 2018)

Answer 28

• Control group: asked to simply track how often they exercised
• Motivation group: track exercise plus read material about the health benefits of exercise
• Planning group: received the same as 1 & 2 but also did implementation planning

Question 29

implementation study findings (Clear 2018)

Answer 29

people in the planning group were much more likely to exercise at least once per week

Question 30

goal-setting and success

Answer 30

94 independent studies show a significant positive effect between goal-setting and success (r=.33)

Question 31

implementation plans across populations

Answer 31

The accuracy of implementation plans is consistent across populations

Question 32

implementation plans and objective vs. subjective progress

Answer 32

It is true for both objective and self-reported progress

Question 33

Fogg behaviour model

Answer 33

Behaviour = motivation + ability + trigger at the same moment

Question 34

are tiny habits important?

Answer 34

yes, they help you achieve goals