APPROACH VERSUS AVOIDANCE GOALS - DIFFERENCES IN SELF-EVALUATION AND WELL-BEING

Citation
Ej. Coats et al., APPROACH VERSUS AVOIDANCE GOALS - DIFFERENCES IN SELF-EVALUATION AND WELL-BEING, Personality & social psychology bulletin, 22(10), 1996, pp. 1057-1067
Citations number
50
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology, Social
ISSN journal
01461672
Volume
22
Issue
10
Year of publication
1996
Pages
1057 - 1067
Database
ISI
SICI code
0146-1672(1996)22:10<1057:AVAG-D>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
Proceeding from a model of feature-positive goal monitoring two studie s tested hypothesized associations between approach goat and positive self-evaluations and between avoidance goals and negative self-evaluat ions. The existence of feature-positive searches in goal monitoring wa s expected to bias self-evaluations toward perceiving success for appr oach goals and failure for avoidance goals. Study I established the ex istence of a relationship between goal framing and global self-evaluat ions, or psychological well-being; subjects with more avoidance goals evaluated themselves more negatively on measures of self-esteem, optim ism, and depression. Study 2 confirmed the causal role of goal framing in this relationship, for self-perceptions of success and satisfactio n differed as a function of manipulated approach versus avoidance goal s.