Chasing the “How” and “Why” of goal pursuit: A multimethod approach to the study of goal focus

Abstract

Goals are cognitive representations of means-ends relations that reflect what a person wants to approach or avoid. Previous research has demonstrated that the relative salience of the means and ends (i.e., goal focus) differs across adulthood. Due to inconsistent findings in recent studies, this study systematically investigated the convergence of goal focus across different dimensions (i.e., goal content, complexity, type, i.e., hypothetical vs. personal goals, and method of assessment) and its relation to age. To this end, we conducted a multimethod online study (N = 773) across an age range from 14 to 87 years. The results provide little support for the convergence of goal focus across different assessment methods and systematic associations with age. We discuss the implications of these findings for goal research.