Motivational effects of knowledge of results: Knowledge or goal setting?

Abstract

ATTEMPTED TO SEPARATE THE EFFECTS OF KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS (KOR) AND GOAL SETTING USING A 2 * 2 FIXED-MODEL DESIGN. THE VARIABLES WERE KOR VS. NO KOR AND SPECIFIC HARD GOALS VS. "DO-BEST" GOALS. THE GOALS WERE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GOALS TYPICALLY ASSIGNED TO KOR AND NO KOR SS. NO DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE GROUPS, BUT A SIGNIFICANT GOAL EFFECT WAS FOUND IN FAVOR OF SS GIVEN SPECIFIC HARD GOALS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT EFFECTS PREVIOUSLY ATTRIBUTED TO DIFFERENTIAL KOR WERE ACTUALLY DUE TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MOTIVATION PRODUCED BY THE DIFFERENT GOALS. (30 REF.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)