CB Exam - Goals and Self-Control

Benefits of setting goals

• direct attention and effort to goal-relevant activities

• increase effort and interest

• improve persistence

• increase planning, use of skills, better strategies

• energies function: increase effort and interest

goals are a standard for judging satisfaction

people with high goals produce more because they are dissatisfied

planning fallacy

people often underestimate how long it will take to complete a goal or a task

SMART Goals

• specific: clear and unambiguous. What, where, how, etc. Sub-group goals

• Measurable: concrete evaluative criteria

• Attainable: moderate to high difficulty

• Relevant: goal has to matter to you

• Time-Bound: deadline and sub-deadlines

Increasing Relevance of a Goal

public commitment, allowing people to set their own goals, and extrinsic incentives

crowding out effect

when extrinsic motivation distracts from intrinsic motivation, providing an incentive can actually reduce behavior

The Fresh Start Effect

sit back and take stock of things, new beginnings, temporal landmarks

goal gradient hypothesis

• we are more motivated by goals when we’re closer to completion

• we also often have pretty high motivation at the beginning, especially for important goals

grit

tendency to retain interest and action toward very long-term goals

improving grit

• correcting maladaptive, incorrect beliefs - fixed vs. growth mindset

• intelligence is not fixed

• frustration and confusion are not signals to quit

• mistakes should not be avoided at all costs

self control

voluntary regulation of behavioral, emotional, and attentional resources

self-control is critical for most things we value

• achieving higher needs

• achieving growth

• health

• relationships

• achievement, $, success

nudge movement

to make self control easier, we need to make a minor change in our environment

liberal paternalism

idea that it is both possible and legitimate for private and public institutions to affect behavior while also respecting freedom of choice, as well as the implementation of that idea