Goal setting
• What is it?
• Setting targets to achieve and therefore
enhance performance.
• “Goal setting is what an individual is trying
to accomplish. It is the object or aim of an
action”
(Lock 1981)
• How can these goals differ?
• Depends on ability, activity,
recreation/sport, what you want/need to
achieve.
• Outcome or performance orientated
How does goal setting
help the performer?
• Attention: goal setting help’s to direct a
performer’s attention (focus) to the
important aspects of the task.
• Effort: goal setting helps to mobilise or
increase the appropriate degree of effort a
performer needs to make in relation to a
specific task.
• Persistence: goal setting helps maintain
efforts over time.
• New strategies: goal setting helps a performer
develop new and various strategies in
order to achieve their goals e.g. learning
(problem solving).
Goal Orientation
• Performance orientated
• Levels of success are judged in terms of
mastering new skills or beating personal
bests. (self referent)
• Has been shown to reduce anxiety in
competitive situations. Why?
• Performance orientated individuals tend to
attribute internal and controllable factors
e.g. effort
• What matters for them is raising their
levels of perceived ability by learning new
skills
Outcome Goals
• Outcome (success) orientated.
• Generally focus on the result/end
product.
• Performers who make comparisons
of themselves with others are said to
be outcome orientated.
• What are the benefits and problems
associated with this?
Goal Characteristics
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Specific
Measurable
Accepted
Realistic
Timed
Exciting
Recorded
Other factors
• Goal difficulty
• Long and short term
• Goal acceptance and
commitment
• Goal evaluation (goal
achievement strategies)