The Struggle of Giving Up Personal Goals – Affective, Physiological, and Cognitive Consequences of an Action Crisis.

Brandstätter, Veronika; Herrmann, Marcel; Schüler, Julia (2013). The Struggle of Giving Up Personal Goals – Affective, Physiological, and Cognitive Consequences of an Action Crisis. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN, 39(12), pp. 1668-1682. Sage 10.1177/0146167213500151

Text Brandstätter_Herrmann_Schüler_2013.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (1MB) | Request a copy

A critical phase in goal striving occurs when setbacks accumulate and goal disengagement becomes an issue. This critical phase is conceptualized as an action crisis and assumed to be characterized by an intrapsychic conflict in which the individual becomes torn between further goal pursuit and goal disengagement. Our theorizing converges with Klinger’s conceptualization of goal disengagement as a process, rather than a discrete event. Two longitudinal field studies tested and found support for the hypothesis that an action crisis not only compromises an individual’s psychological and physiological well-being, but also dampens the cognitive evaluation of the respective goal. In Study 3, marathon runners experiencing an action crisis in their goal of running marathons showed a stronger cortisol secretion and a lower performance in the race 2 weeks later. Results are interpreted in terms of action-phase–specific mindsets with a focus on self-regulatory processes in goal disengagement.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

4 since deposited on 21 Feb 2014
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item