The effect of goal setting on motor performance and motor learning in brain-damaged patients

• Published in: Neuropsychological rehabilitation Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 33 - 44
• Main Authors: Gauggel, Siegfried, Fischer, Sonja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hove Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2001; Taylor & Francis; Psychology Press
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Brain damaged people; Goal setting; Medical sciences; Motivation; Motor performance; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Human; Nervous system diseases; Mood; Motivation; Memory; Central nervous system disease; Self efficacy; Problem solving; Cognition; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0960-2011; 1464-0694
• DOI: 10.1080/09602010042000150

We examined the effect of goal setting on the performance of 45 brain-damaged patients carrying out the Purdue Pegboard Test. Patients were randomly and equally allocated to two conditions: One in which a specific, high goal was assigned and one in which a "do your best" goal was given. Statistical analysis indicated that patients with a specific and high goal performed better than patients with a "do your best" goal. In addition, this improvement in performance did not disappear after a 10-minute break. As a further result of this study slight moderating influences of mood, self-efficacy, and memory performance on goal setting were found. Goal setting seems to be a useful technique to influence motivation (i.e., the intensity of behaviour) in brain-damaged patients.