Research On The Influence Of Goal Difficulty On Self-efficacy And Performance

Goal setting theory suggests that goals enhance motivation, they should be specific, and at a level of difficulty that is challenging but attainable. It is important that goal setting influence self-efficacy and performance. This study was designed to investigate the effects of different goal difficulty setting on performance and self-efficacy, and to explore their relationships. One hundred and ninety-eight middle school students were recruited for this study in three weeks. They were randomly grouped into one of four goal groups: Easy, difficult, unrealistic and "do your best" group. The participants completed one and a half minute sit-up test. The test was performed three times with one week between each test. Participants also completed a six-item self-efficacy questionnaire to assess self-efficacy. The performance tests were analyzed in a 4 X 3(Goal Conditions X Trials) ANCOVA design, with a repeated measure on the last factor and baseline performance as the covariate. Results of the data analysis revealed no significant interaction but a significant main effect for difference in performance over time. Univariate results showed that performance improved significantly each week. The results indicated there were significant main effects of time (3 weeks) and interaction of time by group for self-efficacy. Self-efficacy influenced performance directly and was the mediator of goal setting influencing performance. As participants in the present study were already motivated toward doing sit-up, it is possible that each individual had a personal goal to improve their performance, and this became the most important goal. So the future research should involve a more thorough investigation of the type of goals that individuals set themselves.