Goal setting and goal implementation

The historical roots of the goal concept are found in behaviorism, mentalis m, and German will psychology. It is suggested that the psychology of goal pursuit has recently experienced a renaissance. Modern goal psychology focu ses on phenomena of goal setting and goal attainment. With respect to goal setting, content approaches as well as self-regulatory approaches are diffe rentiated. Goal content approaches try to predict successful goal setting o n the basis of distinct features (e. g., assigned versus self-set goals, sp ecific versus abstract goals, promotion versus prevention goals, performanc e versus learning goals). Self-regulatory approaches, to the contrary, anal yze processes that facilitate successful goal setting (e. g., mental contra sting of the future with impeding reality, promoting self-efficacy expectat ions). Further, issues of goal implementation are investigated. Again, rele vant content and structural features of goals (e. g., materialistic versus idealistic goals, proximal versus distal goals, approach versus avoidance g oals) and self-regulatory processes (e.g., implemental mindsets, implementa tion intentions, action control strategies, energization, discrepancy reduc tion) are identified. Finally, goal relevant phenomena which have been wide ly ignored in modern goal psychology (e.g., goal conflict, goal disengageme nt) are addressed.