Goals

• Nonconscious & Conscious
• Impact of others and situation
• Goal pursuit success
• Important connections to other concepts
• Automaticity, social influence, the self, etc.

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Goals are identified and achieved in both implicit and explicit levels. However, since we are cognitive misers, we have a tendency to rely on the automatic processes. This can be advantageous or disadvantageous as the readings this week explore these questions in regard to goals and behavior change. For instance, Rothman et al. (2015), discuss how behavioral friction can disrupt people’s automatic behaviors and makes it difficult to continue unhealthy habits. This leaves people now having to utilize more effortful processing. In the right contexts, this can yield significant behavior change. Consider what UHCL has done, they have designated specific smoking areas around the campus. So now someone that automatically associates stress with smoking will have to make an effortful consideration to either expend energy to walk to a smoking area, reduce smoking, or adopt healthier stress management techniques. I pose the following question: In what other ways can we utilize behavioral friction to promote explicit behavior change? If we induce this behavior change, can we create dissonance in individuals, and thus cause individuals to commit to a new goal they deem important (Shah, 2005).

Our deficiency in monitoring our goals can be self-serving at times. We have a tendency to deceive ourselves with respect to our progress (Webb et al., 2013). How far do we take it? Do you think we go as far as to distort our progress (overestimate and underestimate) to finish (or quit) our goals earlier (Epley, 2014). Briskin et al. (2017) found that participants planned to spend more time and effort on health/fitness goals when they perceived their partner as instrumental. This could also be because their loved ones are more salient, and this could serve as a reminder they could suffer if one does not take care of oneself (Rothman et al., 2015). Are goals made with our loved ones easier to develop a strong engagement in (Higgins, 2005)? Boothby et al. (2014) found that shared sensory experiences are stronger, so how can this relate to positive behavior change?

Example 2

We all have goals. We all have particular things that will motivate us to reach these goals. However not everyone wants to face these problems head on or even at all. In the Rothman and et al (2015) study on Healthy Habits it talks about how are reluctant or overconfident about themselves to see a problem with there health. So if a person is setting a goal to get healthy but one the window of opportunity to fully engage in a healthy lifestyle passes them by they will give up or because, they believe themselves to be invulnerable they will not focus on the task at hand. So regardless of the type of help they are receiving from someone Instrumental or emotional support (Briskin and et al. 2017) it will not help them in attaining their goal. The very interesting thing from the Briskin and et al. article (2017) on Outsourcing was how the aspect of partner being a help or a hinderance to a person. This links in well with Shah (2005) and ” A close relationship may also encourage individuals to consider, and adopt the goals their significant others are pursuing themselves” (pg. 11) In essence a close relationship may very well have both individuals trying to purse the same goal whether that be health or financial etc. Two heads are better than one when it comes to reaching a goal right? It did not seem that way for career goals in the Briskin and et al (2017) article.

The ostrich problem presented by Webb and et al (2013) suggest that we do not want to know what is going on with things sometimes. That our ignorance is bliss. But how could this be? Why would you not want to know the state of something that affects your life, or that you are working towards as a goal? They suggest that a low expectancy is something that will help to keep an individual from looking out for that constant check up. However I think Rothman and et al (2015) were on to something with creating habits. Consistency is key when trying to form a new habit. It is also vital that you find a way to get away from things that automatically remind you of old habits. Old habits and bad habits die hard because they are habits and of course you are so use to them being there in your life. Then on top of that things that you don’t even think of will remind you of doing things or not doing things depending on what your habit is. So how dp we push ourselves to do those hard things in life like telling the truth in a difficult situation? Or telling a friend that you saw his or her partner being adulterous? Is there a way to help us as society? Do we all need a little more instrumental help in our daily lives to support us for times like these?  Sticking your head in the sand doesn’t do anything for a solution to the problem only by addressing the problem can solutions come forward.