When goals loom darker: Goal ambivalence moderates the effect of goal proximity on goal-related motivation

摘要

This research extends previous work on the self-regulation of goal striving as well as effects of temporal and psychological distance on motivation. Borrowing from classic work on goal gradients and approach-avoidance conflicts, we predicted that the experience of ambivalence toward a personal goal moderates the extent to which feeling or being close to goal attainment affects motivation, such that greater proximity to the goal has a negative effect on motivation at higher levels of experienced goal ambivalence. We find evidence for the hypothesized effect across three studies examining different goals (pursuing a degree, running a half-marathon) with varying operationalizations of goal proximity (self-reported, manipulated, temporal) and motivation (goal commitment, intention strength). These results validate that classic concepts of motivation science such as goal gradients and approach-avoidance conflict are both relevant and applicable to the everyday pursuit of self-set personal goals.