Doctoral Dissertation Research: Identity and the Process of Goal Accomplishment

当个人朝着一个目标努力时，例如，成为“马拉松运动员”、“大学毕业生”或“成功的商人”，他们会根据从别人那里得到的反馈来评估自己朝着目标完成的进度。如果他们实现目标的进度比预期的慢，他们应该感到消极情绪，如果他们实现目标的进度比预期的快，他们应该感到积极情绪。反过来，这些情绪应该帮助我们理解人们在什么时候会坚持自己的目标，积极情绪会促进对目标的承诺，而消极情绪会削弱对目标的承诺。在本论文中，Co-PI测试了长期存在的认同论点，即一个人的目标验证产生积极的感受，而一个人的目标不验证产生消极的感受。与此同时，Co-PI调查了一个人实现目标的速度，也就是说，对一个人的表现的反馈是显示出更慢的进步，更快的进步，还是以预期的速度进步。这项分析是针对参加为期10周的本科课程的大学生进行的。在课程期间，学生们将通过一系列调查密切关注他们的自我看法，包括他们作为学生的身份、他们的目标（他们在课程中期望的成绩）、实现目标的预期率，以及他们对自己表现反馈的情绪反应。使用回归的统计测试将允许Co-PI检查目标实现和实现目标的进度对学生情绪状态的影响。更广泛的影响更好地理解目标的实现和实现目标的过程如何随着时间的推移影响个人的感受，可以提供更好的方法来帮助人们朝着目标努力。对于个人来说，调整他们的目标，或者调整他们期望达到目标的速度，以使自己感觉良好，并继续坚持自己的努力，这可能很重要。这将影响到生活的各个方面，包括学校、工作、家庭和人际关系。如果雇主、教练、老师和导师更好地了解人们看待自己的方式、他们的目标以及他们期望实现目标的预期速度，那么当他们面临困难时，他们可能会更有效地指导他人，因为这些特征会影响个人的情绪体验，并影响他们如何做出相应的反应。

SES-1332430Jan StetsRyan TrettevikInstitution: University of California RiversideAs individuals work towards a goal, for example, being a "marathon runner," "college graduate," or "successful businessperson," they evaluate their progress toward goal accomplishment on the basis of the feedback they receive from others. If their progress toward goal accomplishment is slower than their expected rate, they should feel negative emotions, and if their progress toward goal accomplishment is faster than expected, they should feel positive emotions. In turn, these emotions should help us understand when people remain committed to their goals with positive emotions fueling commitment to goals and negative emotions curtailing commitment to goals. In this dissertation, the Co-PI tests the long-standing identity argument that the verification of one's goals generates positive feelings and the non-verification of one's goals generates negative feelings. At the same time, the Co-PI investigates the rate of verifying one's goal, that is, whether feedback as to one's performance reveals slower progress, faster progress, or progress at one's expected rate. The analysis is of college students as they go through a 10-week, undergraduate course. Students will be closely followed during the course through a series of surveys that track their self-views' on their identity as student, their goals (expected grades as they go through the course), expected rate of achieving their goals, and their emotional responses to feedback on their performance. Statistical tests using regression will allow the Co-PI to examine the effects of goal attainment and the rate of progress towards goal attainment on students' emotional state. Broader ImpactHaving a better understanding of how goal accomplishment and progress toward goal accomplishment influences individuals' feelings over time can provide insights into better ways to help people as they work towards their goals. It may be important for individuals to modify their goals, or modify the rate at which they expect to reach their goals in order to feel good and continue persisting in their efforts. This would have implications in all areas of life including at school, at work, at home, and in relationships. Employers, coaches, teachers, and mentors may be more effective in guiding others when they face difficulties if they have a better understanding of the ways in which people view themselves, their goals, and the anticipated pace at which they expect to achieve their goals since these characteristics influence the emotions individuals experience and impact how they respond accordingly.