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Goals

Definition

Goals are a form of self-regulation adopted by humans to achieve specific aims. By focusing people's attention, goals facilitate responses that are compatible with people's objectives. Although the behavior of lower animals is controlled by biological mechanisms, human functioning is more flexible. Humans have the ability to regulate their responses beyond biologically based propensities. Goals represent one form of selfRegulation common in people's daily lives.

While the specific content of people's goals vary considerably, a number of features have been identified by psychologists as common to all goals.

Mental Idea

Goals are mental ideas, or cognitive representations, meaning that they are based in the mind. Consequently, goals can only be inferred, rather than observed. Furthermore, goals are restricted to animals that use their mind in the process of regulation. The actions of plant life, therefore, are not seen as goal-directed behavior. A blossoming rose bush, for example, is simply reacting to the conditions in its environment. It responds by reflex alone. By the same token, physiological functions in humans, such as digestion or blood circulation, are not viewed as goal-directed for a similar reason. These functions are carried out automatically, without any thought regarding the future.

Future

When engaging in goal-directed behavior, people take into account future events, behaving in ways that either facilitate or prevent their occurrence. Goaldirected behavior, therefore, does not simply entail an immediate response to a stimulus. Flinching in response to a loud noise, for example, would not constitute goal-directed behavior. Of central importance is the role of a mental image of a future possibility that influences present behavior.

Commitment

Goal commitment refers to the degree to which a person is dedicated to following through on his or her objective. It is only when an individual commits to some action that a goal is adopted. However, not all goals are committed to equally. Level of commitment may vary considerably, and this variability has important implications for effort, persistence, and absorption in the goal pursuit process. While goal commitment requires a conscious decision, once in place, goals may be activated thorough an automatic process, influencing behavior outside an individual's conscious awareness.

Approach or Avoidance

All goals can be categorized as one of two types: approach-focused or avoidance-focused. Approach goals center on the pursuit of a positive outcome, such as scoring above a 90 on a math test. In contrast, avoidance goals center on the evasion of a negative outcome, for example, scoring below a 90 on a math test. In both cases, the content of the goal is the same. However, the psychological framing differs, which has important implication for the way goals are experienced.

History and Background

Goals have been present throughout the history of psychological thought. Aristotle is often regarded as the first truly psychological thinker, and his writings make clear reference to the goal-directed nature of behavior. For Aristotle, behavior is always purposeful, and imagined future states are viewed as having an important influence on human action. Aristotle used the work of a sculptor creating a statue to illustrate this notion of purpose and directedness. Standing before a block of marble, the sculptor has an idea of what is wanted at the end of the sculpting process. It is this imagined end state that is thought to determine the way that the marble is chiseled as the sculptor produces the statue.

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