Motivation and emotion/Lectures/Goals and mindsets
Lecture 05: Goals and mindsets
This is the fifth lecture for the motivation and emotion unit of study.
 | The 2026 lecture is in development. |
Overview
[edit | edit source]
This lecture discusses:
- goal-setting and goal striving
- mindsets
Key questions:
- What are the key elements for successful goal setting and goal pursuit?
- What are mindsets and how do they influence motivated behaviour?
Take-home messages:
- People perform best when they have a specific plan of action to pursue a difficult, specific, and self-congruent goal.
- Different mindsets lead to different goal striving strategies
Outline
[edit | edit source]Goal setting and goal striving
- Corrective motivation
- Goal setting
- Goal striving
Mindsets
- What are mindsets?
- Deliberative – Implemental
- Prevention – Promotion
- Fixed – Growth
- Dissonance – Consistency
Multimedia
[edit | edit source]- Locke and Latham's Goal Setting Theory (MindTools, YouTube; 1:29 mins): Contemporary goal setting advice is largely derived from Locke and Latham's (1990) goal setting theory which this video explains as involving clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and complexity.
Readings
[edit | edit source]- Chapter 07: Goal setting and goal striving (Reeve, 2024)
- Chapter 08: Mindsets (Reeve, 2024)
Slides
[edit | edit source]- Goal setting and goal striving (Google Slides)
- Mindsets (Google Slides)
See also
[edit | edit source]- Lectures
- Extrinsic motivation and psychological needs (Previous lecture)
- Mindsets, control, and self (Next lecture)
- Unconscious motivation (Related lecture)
- Tutorial
- Wikiversity
- Goal pursuit (Book chapters)
- Goal setting (Book chapters)
- Mindset (Book chapters)
- Wikipedia
Recording
[edit | edit source]- Lecture 05 (2026) TBA
References
[edit | edit source]Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S. (2013). Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 716–733. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031201
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance. Prentice-Hall.
External links
[edit | edit source]- Keep your goals to yourself (Derek Sivers, TED talk, 2010) (3 min) – Conventional wisdom is to make our goals public to hold us accountable – but going public gives a (false) sense of satisfaction that can undermine future effort
- If you could achieve one goal in 24 hours (Brian Tracy) (2 min) – A "motivational guru" argues for putting everything aside to achieve one goal in 24 hours
- Want to succeed? Don't set goals, set systems (Adam Alter, Big Think) (3:50 mins) – Goal setting and goal striving can be a motivational double-edged sword