Setting and Achieving Goals

1. Setting and Achieving Goals

2. Drug Free School • Conducted survey for a local school funds from the Drug Free Schools Act. • Drug use low but not zero. • Set achievable goal. • Percent Reduction but unlikely school would ever be “drug free”.

3. Reaction of Principal • Principal very unhappy with me. • “If they can land a man on the moon, we can have a drug free school.” • Preferred a lofty goal that makes a good slogan.

4. Importance of goal setting • Mobilizes effort. • Increases commitment. • Know when they’ve been achieved. • Reward for a reaching a milestone. • True for group and individual goals.

5. Post-graduation plans. • Go right to work. • Pursue further education. • Best to try out plans while still on campus. • Internship or CO-OP. • Example: internship as drug and alcohol counselor. • Switch major to CJ.

6. Tote ModelTest Operate Test Exit If incongruous (not agree) TEST OPERATE TEST If congruous (agree) Compare present state with ideal state EXIT Act on environment to realize ideal state

7. Tote Model If incongruous webpage Update web Test web If congruous Compare present state with ideal state EXIT Act on environment to realize ideal state

8. Corrective Motivation • Act to achieve the ideal state. • Change or revise plans as you progress. • Incongruity a strong motivation. • Mismatch between present and ideal states. • “Discrepancy” similar term.

9. Discrepancy Reduction • Difference between current GPA and GPA required to get into teacher ed program. • You 2.5 Need 2.7 • Discrepancy based on external standard. • Strive to reach goal set by another person.

10. Discrepancy Creation • Set your own goals. • Motivate yourself. • Not depending on reaching some external standard. • Set up your own exercise plan (Ex: swim 25 laps, 3 times a week) • Increase laps when goal is met • Intrinsic motivation.

11. Importance of Setting Goals • People and organizations with goals out perform those who set vague goals or none at all. • Research and intervention projects need to examine goals. • Need to be clearly defined.

12. Drink responsibly • Ad campaigns by beer companies. • What is it? • How will we know if we get it? • Before beginning campaign, what would be reasonable goals?

13. Campus goals • Dry campus? • Reduction in binge drinking. • 5+drinks in one sitting. • 40% Freshmen now. • 30% after campaign. • Science based research.

14. Goal qualities • Goal difficultly (within reason) • More difficult  more effort • Goal specificity • Greater clarity  more effort • Goals should be challenging and specific.

15. Measurable goals • Need to be able to document progress. • Feedback to you. • Agency who funded you. • Renewal of contract. • New grant application. • Social service agencies depend on “soft money”.

16. Goal acceptance. • William Lofquist: Prevention Specialist. • Youth involvement in planning. • Youth viewed as objects, recipients or resources. • These viewpoints can positively or negatively influence attitudes and the quality of motivation within a group.

17. Youth as Objects. • The leader is in control and has no intention of letting the youth be more involved. Conformity and their acceptance of the program • Control is the main goal.

18. Youth as Recipients • Leader is still in control but asks youth for their ideas and opinions. • Leader knows what's best and will make decisions. • Leader sets up program. • Youth may be able to provide feedback. • Leader decides how to respond.

19. Youth as Resources • Leader shares in a more collaborative approach with youth. • Leader respects the contribution youth can make to the planning, operation, and evaluation of the group. • Participation is important. • All are valued.

20. Stakeholder Defined • Neutral person to hold the money (or "stakes") that have been wagered. • People who will be affected by an endeavor and can influence it. • A participant in a community mobilization effort, representing a particular segment of society.

21. Need for Stakeholders • “When one has no stake in the way things are, when one’s needs or opinions are provided no forum, when one sees oneself as the object of unilateral actions, it takes no particular wisdom to suggest that one would rather be elsewhere.” • (Seymour Sarason, 1990) • Psychologist, expert in education reform.

22. Externally imposed goals • Some situations may not be able to enlist participants in setting goals. • Need to encourage participation. • Psychology Achievement Test. • Required to complete degree. • Want students to do their best.

23. The Carrot or the Stick • Some faculty advocated having a passing grade. • Retake until you pass. • Other faculty wanted to provide rewards for doing well. • Recognition during honor’s assembly.

24. Rules for Externally Imposed Goals • 1) Easy to accomplish: just need to take test, no passing grade, convenient times, no charge to student. • 2) Understand need: test important for department evaluation, good performance helps department, participation in helping reach goal.

25. Rules (cont) • 3) Credibility: hope student respect request from faculty, support our efforts. • 4) Extrinsic rewards: since goal is external, must reward participation. Honors for top scores.

26. Achieving Goals • Setting goals important. • In order to be realized, have to develop an action plan. • Implementation intentions. • How do we intend to implement our plans to achieve our goals?

27. Making wishes come true. • Mental simulations. • Visualize success. • Book claimed I could become better golfer by imagining hitting puts that always went in the hole. • Imagining it was as good as practice. • Picture of author in lounge chair. • Seem reasonable?

28. Mental Simulation on Outcome • “In this exercise, you will be asked to visualize yourself getting a high grade on your midterm exam and asked to image how you would feel. It is very important that you see yourself getting a high grade on the midterm and have that picture in your mind.”

29. Mental Simulation on Process • In this exercise you will be asked to visualize studying for the midterm exam in such a way that would lead you to obtain a high grade on midterm. As of today and for the remaining days before the midterm, imagine how you would study to get a high grade on the midterm. It is very important that you see yourself actually studying and have that picture in your mind.”

30. Mental Simulation Study • Pham and Taylor, 1999. • First group focused on outcome: actually studies less and got poorer grades than • Second group focused on process: studied more and got better grades. • Must have plan of action.

31. Action plan • When, where, how, and for how long one is to act. • Accomplishing goals takes time. • Opens door for distractions and difficulties. • Applying for grad school. • Specific plan for doing so. • How do deal with distractions.

32. Keeping track of progress • Self-regulation. • Up to the individual to monitor progress and modify plan as necessary. • Set intermediate goals as milestones along path. • Timetable with action plan.

33. Cycle of Self-Regulation Performance Forethought Goal Setting Implementation Intentions Self-Reflection Self-Monitoring Self-Evaluating