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Goal Imagery: Bridging the Gap Between Implicit Motives and Explicit Goals
Author(s) -
Schultheiss Oliver C.,
Brunstein Joachim C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6494.00046
Subject(s) - psychology , congruence (geometry) , goal pursuit , goal orientation , perception , social psychology , mental image , bridging (networking) , cognitive psychology , implicit attitude , goal setting , arousal , cognition , computer network , neuroscience , computer science
Two studies examined the role of goal imagery (i.e., the perception‐like mental representation of the pursuit and attainment of a goal) in establishing congruence between individuals’ implicit motives and their inclination to pursue explicit goals assigned to them. Study 1 found that after a goal‐imagery exercise, implicit needs for power and affiliation predicted participants’ affective arousal and their commitment to a social‐interaction goal furnished with power‐ and affiliation‐related incentives. In Study 2, implicit power motivation predicted the level of performance participants achieved in pursuit of a competitive performance goal after a goal‐imagery exercise. Without goal imagery, however, participants’ motivation to pursue an explicit goal was independent of their implicit motive dispositions in both studies.