Task Complexity as a Moderator of Goal Effects: A Meta-Analysis

Much evidence exists that supports the use of goal setting as a motivational technique for enhancing task performance; however, little attention has been given to the role of task characteristics as potential moderating conditions of goal effects. Meta-analysis procedures were used to assess the mod...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied psychology 1987-08, Vol.72 (3), p.416-425
Main Authors: Wood, Robert E, Mento, Anthony J, Locke, Edwin A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Difficulty level
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Goal orientation
Goals
Human
Learning motivation
Meta Analysis
Motivation
Objectives
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social psychology
Social research
Systematic review
Task analysis
Task Complexity
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Summary:Much evidence exists that supports the use of goal setting as a motivational technique for enhancing task performance; however, little attention has been given to the role of task characteristics as potential moderating conditions of goal effects. Meta-analysis procedures were used to assess the moderator effects of task complexity for goal-setting studies conducted from 1966 to 1985 ( n = 125). The reliability of the task complexity ratings was .92. Three sets of analyses were conducted: for goal-difficulty results (hard vs. easy), for goal specificity-difficulty (specific difficult goals vs. do-best or no goal), and for all studies collapsed across goal difficulty and goal specificity-difficulty. It was generally found that goal-setting effects were strongest for easy tasks (reaction time, brainstorming), d = .76, and weakest for more complex tasks (business game simulations, scientific and engineering work, faculty research productivity), d = .42. Implications for future research on goal setting and the validity of generalizing results are discussed.
ISSN:0021-9010
1939-1854
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.72.3.416