The effect of three different goal-setting methods on bench press strength performance

An established message reported by behavioral scientists, who have conducted industrial research, is that performance can be enhanced through the use of goal setting. Locke, Shaw, Saari, and Latham (1981) reported, "The beneficial effect of goal setting on task performance is one of the most robust and replicated findings in the psychological literature" (p. 125). For quite some time, coaches and athletes have assumed that the beneficial effects of goal setting observed in industry can also be applied to athletic endeavors. However, recent scientific investigations examining the effects of goal setting conducted in a physical education/sport environment have yielded equivocal responses. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of three different goal setting methods on bench press strength performance in order that a more thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to the success or failure of goal setting within sports could be examined.; One hundred eighty-seven beginning and intermediate collegiate males and females enrolled in six weight training classes were assigned three different goal setting treatments during a 14-week semester. The three goal setting conditions were authoritarian, collaborative, and "do your best". Subjects in the autocratic goal setting group received a specific strength objective by the instructor. Subjects in the collaborative goal setting group established a strength training objective in conjunction with the instructor. Individuals in the "do your best" goal setting condition were verbally challenged to exert maximal physical effort throughout the experiment.; The dependent variable was a one repetition maximum lift in the supine bench press. Pre, mid, and post tests were administered to examine the subjects' strength performance throughout the experiment. Subjects were classified according to the method of goal setting, gender, and experience. The data were analyzed using a three-factor factorial with repeated measures on the last factor (Time). A significant main effect was observed at the.05 level for both Time and Experience. No other main effects or interactions were significant. Subjects, regardless of the goal setting treatment, did not perform significantly different from one another in the dependent variable.