Research article summary (published 30 Jul 2006):

Motivating behavioral persistence: the self-as-doer construct.

Full Abstract

Why do some people persist in goal pursuit, even in the face of boredom or setbacks, whereas others quickly give up their goals? In this research, the authors introduce a new motivational construct, the "self-as-doer," to explore this question. Studies 1 and 2 found longitudinal evidence that those who more strongly endorse doer statements regarding their goals (i.e., exerciser, dieter, runner) show greater behavioral persistence and attainment regarding such goals, even controlling for other relevant constructs such as expectancy, self-concordance, commitment, and neuroticism. Study 3 used priming to make the self-as-doer momentarily accessible, finding an interaction such that those who read The Little Engine That Could (vs. Curious George) and wrote an essay applying the story's message to themselves (vs. others) showed the greatest persistence in physically demanding tasks. Implications for sustained motivation of all kinds are discussed.

Author information

Author/s: Houser-Marko, Linda (L); Sheldon, Kennon M (KM);

Affiliation: University of Missouri-Columbia, 65211, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Personality and social psychology bulletin (Pers Soc Psychol Bull), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 32 (issue 8) : pp 1037-49

Dates: Created 2006/07/24; Completed 2006/11/21;

PMID: 16861308, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Adult Female Goals Humans Identification (Psychology)

Interpersonal Relations Male Motivation Questionnaires Self Concept Social Behavior

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