Boosting Performance on an Evaluative Math Test Goal Activation vs Self-Affirmation
This study compared the effectiveness of goal activation versus self-affirmation and a control condition as interventions for increasing performance on an evaluative task (a difficult math test; N = 78; M age = 20.3 yr., SD = 1.9). Although there has been much recent literature on the effects of act...
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Published in | Psychological reports Vol. 118; no. 1; pp. 41 - 56 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Los Angeles, CA
SAGE Publications
01.02.2016
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | This study compared the effectiveness of goal activation versus self-affirmation and a control condition as interventions for increasing performance on an evaluative task (a difficult math test; N = 78; M age = 20.3 yr., SD = 1.9). Although there has been much recent literature on the effects of activating goals, the existing literature does not examine possible spillover effects of activating goals on performance tasks. Results indicated that goal activation resulted in significant performance enhancements over both the self-affirmation and control conditions, while self-affirmation did not improve performance significantly relative to the control condition. Additionally, interest in the task, as a cue for self-regulatory resources, mediated the effect of goal activation on increased performance. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0033-2941 1558-691X |
DOI: | 10.1177/0033294115625576 |