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Aggregated health decisions by individuals are of paramount importance to public health professionals and policymakers, especially in situations where collective participation is a prerequisite for achieving an important public health goal such as herd immunity. In such circumstances, concerted action often falls short of the common good through lack of sufficient participation. Collective action problems are traditionally attributed to rational egoists seeking to promote their interests and enjoy a 'free ride.' We call attention, however, to the behavioral features of collective action and their implications for solving public health policy problems. (doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.152629)

Previous research has suggested that the topography of instructions (general vs. specific) may influence the likelihood that young children comply with instructions. The purpose of the current study was to compare the rates of task completion of a young man diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when provided with general and specific instructions pertaining to the task. The results showed that specific instructions occasioned higher levels of task completion, even when no differential reinforcement contingencies were in place. DESCRIPTORS: Asperger syndrome, general versus specific instructions, goal setting, on-task behavior

Goal-setting effects on selected performance behaviors of 5 collegiate rugby players were assessed over an entire competitive season using self-generated targets and goal-attainment scaling. Results suggest that goal setting was effective for enhancing task-specific on-field behavior in rugby union. DESCRIPTORS: goal-attainment scaling, performance, rugby, self-generated targets

Achievement goal theory proposes that goal orientations are developed and altered through various socialization processes, including the motivational climate created by parents and coaches (Nicholls, 1989). This study investigated the combined influence of coach- and parent-initiated motivational climate on athlete goal orientation and changes in goal orientation during a competitive season. Female adolescent softball players (N = 62) completed questionnaires assessing goal orientations at early season and assessing goal orientations, perceptions of the coach motivational climate, and perceptions of the parent motivational climate at late season. Athletes' early season task orientation, perceptions of a task coach-initiated climate, and a parent climate emphasizing learning positively predicted athletes' task orientation at late season. Athletes' early season ego orientation was the only predictor of late season ego orientation. Consistent with achievement goal theory, these findings support the importance of examining the influence of both coaches and parents on the motivation of youth athletes., Achievement goal theory asserts that variations in behavior will occur when individuals use different goals in an achievement setting (Ames, 1984; Dweck, 1986; Nicholls, 1984, 1989). There are two major [...]

The role of goal setting in motivating unethical behavior is explored in a laboratory experiment. The results reveal that people with unmet goals are more likely to engage in unethical behavior than people attempting to do their best.

We evaluated the effects of public posting, goal setting, and oral feedback on the skills of 3 female high school soccer players during practice scrimmages. The dependent variables were the percentage of appropriate responses when the player (a) kept and maintained possession of the ball, (b) moved to an open position during a game restart (e.g., goal or corner kick), and (c) moved to an open position after passing the ball. We also assessed the extent to which changes in practice performances generalized to games. A social validity questionnaire was completed by both players and coaches to assess the acceptability of the interventions goals, procedures, and outcomes. Results indicate that the intervention was effective in improving performances during practice scrimmages but produced limited generalization to game settings. DESCRIPTORS: public posting, goal setting, oral feedback, female athletes, soccer

Procrastination is all too familiar to most people. People delay writing up their research (so we hear!), repeatedly declare they will start their diets tomorrow, or postpone until next week doing odd jobs around the house. Yet people also sometimes attempt to control their procrastination by setting deadlines for themselves. In this article, we pose three questions: (a) Are people willing to self-impose meaningful (i.e., costly) deadlines to overcome procrastination? (b) Are self-imposed deadlines effective in improving task performance? (c) When self-imposing deadlines, do people set them optimally, for maximum performance enhancement? A set of studies examined these issues experimentally, showing that the answer is 'yes' to the first two questions, and 'no' to the third. People have self-control problems, they recognize them, and they try to control them by self-imposing costly deadlines. These deadlines help people control procrastination, but they are not as effective as some externally imposed deadlines in improving task performance.

Keywords: optimism; stressors; goals; immune system Abstract: Although optimism is usually conceptualized as a buffer against stressor-related changes in the immune system, some contradictory findings have emerged. The present research proposed that when facing conflicting goals, optimists are more likely to remain engaged with both goals and to experience higher short-term stress as a consequence. Optimists were therefore predicted to fare worse than pessimists immunologically when facing academic--social goal conflict but to fare better when not facing goal conflict. In the Study 1 sample (n = 48), optimism was associated with higher numbers of CD4.sup.+ cells among first-year law students who were less likely to have academic--social conflict and with lower numbers of CD4.sup.+ cells at midsemester among students who were more likely to have conflict. The results replicated in the Study 2 sample of law students (n = 22) using delayed-type hypersensitivity testing. Optimists may be subject to short-term physiological costs in their persistence to gain long-term rewards. Article History: Registration Date: 16/10/2004

Research on personal goals in relation to subjective well-being (SWB) typically involves appraisals of these goals on a number of appraisal dimensions. In this study, we examined how dimensional specificity affects predictions of SWB. Two studies were conducted. In the first, 19 doctoral candidates were interviewed with respect to their personal projects. Using a grounded-theory approach to the interview transcripts, 11 context-specific dimensions were identified: time pressure, time conflict, procrastination, anxiety, guilt, financial stress, uncertainty, social support, passion, commitment and positive effects on mood. These dimensions were then used in a second study of 81 doctoral students who completed a questionnaire package including: Personal Projects Analysis (PPA), the NEO Personality Inventory, and SWB measures. Regression analyses revealed that the context-specific PPA dimensions identified in Study 1 accounted for unique variance in perceptions of life satisfaction and provided a more detailed perspective on doctoral students' stress and coping resources. The results of the two studies are discussed in terms of the Personal Action Constructs now being used in studies of the conative aspects of well-being.

Most research in goal setting has examined the effectiveness of rigid goals- ie. goals stated in terms of some percentage of improvement that stays the same from trial to trial. [...]

Preliminary evidence in sport research suggests that an interdependence may exist between athletes' motivational goals and their stress responses. The present study sought to establish this particular tenet of goal [...]

Interests and goals have been identified as two important motivational variables that impact individuals' academic performances, yet little is known about how best to utilize these variables to enhance childrens' learning. We first review recent developments in the two areas and then examine the connection between interests and goals. We argue that the polarization of situational and individual interest, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, and performance and mastery goals must be reconsidered. In addition, although we acknowledge the positive effects of individual interest, intrinsic motivation, and the adoption of mastery goals, we urge educators and researchers to recognize the potential additional benefits of externally triggered situational interest, extrinsic motivation, and performance goals. Only by dealing with the multidimensional nature of motivational forces will we be able to help our academically unmotivated children.