Is My Goal a Carrot or a Stick?

Our daily lives are often structured around pursuing various goals, from simple tasks to more significant aspirations. For older adults, this engagement in everyday goals plays a crucial role in maintaining well-being and a sense of purpose. We often experience a range of emotions as we navigate our days, and it's natural to wonder how these feelings might impact our motivation and effort in pursuing what matters to us. Furthermore, the way we think about our goals – whether we envision them as something we hope to achieve or something we fear not achieving – could also shape our actions. The Developmental and Educational Psychology Group (Denis Gerstorf) investigated the factors that influence how older individuals approach and engage with these daily goals. They further examined the intricate relationship between our everyday emotions, how we mentally frame our goals, and the extent to which we actively pursue them in our later years. Understanding these dynamics can provide valuable insights into the motivational landscape of older adulthood. Find out more in their Communications Psychology Article!
 

Abstract

This study examines intra- and interindividual differences in everyday goal pursuit in older adults focusing on the role of emotions and goal representations. Assuming a prioritization of self-preservation in old age, we expected that reduced negative (and elevated positive) emotions would be associated with increased everyday goal pursuit. These links were expected to be moderated by goal representations such that positive emotions would be more strongly linked to greater goal pursuit when goals were represented as hopes, whereas negative emotions would be less strongly linked to reduced goal pursuit when goals were represented as fears. We used up to 21 surveys from 236 individuals collected over 7 days (Age: Mean = 70.5, 60–87 years). Multilevel models revealed that more intense positive emotional experiences and less intense negative emotional experiences were each associated with elevated everyday goal pursuit. As expected, hoped-for goals were associated with stronger positive emotion–goal pursuit associations. Feared goals were associated with weaker negative emotion (particularly worry)–goal pursuit links. Moderations were limited to the most salient goal. These findings provide insights into how everyday emotion dynamics and goal pursuit may be shaped by the way older adults represent their goals.