Editing Goal setting (section)

=== Domain general benefits from goal setting ===
Goal setting research has shown positive results as an effective, and inexpensive to implement intervention for a broad range of academic purposes across a range of age groups. Beginning with struggling undergraduate students, there is some evidence that when compared to a control group, students who had set general rather than domain specific academic goals experienced the following benefits in the semester after the intervention namely, i) increased GPA, ii) a higher probability of maintaining a full course load, iii) a reduction in self reported negative affect. While goal setting research tends to be domain specific, these results among others, does suggest that benefits from goal setting may have broader benefits for goal setters even beyond the domain of the goal itself.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Morisano|first1=Dominique|last2=Hirsh|first2=Jacob B.|last3=Peterson|first3=Jordan B.|last4=Pihl|first4=Robert O.|last5=Shore|first5=Bruce M.|date=2010|title=Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals improves academic performance|journal=Journal of Applied Psychology|language=en|volume=95|issue=2|pages=255–264|doi=10.1037/a0018478|pmid=20230067|issn=1939-1854}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Travers|first1=Cheryl J.|last2=Morisano|first2=Dominique|last3=Locke|first3=Edwin A.|date=June 2015|title=Self-reflection, growth goals, and academic outcomes: A qualitative study|journal=The British Journal of Educational Psychology|volume=85|issue=2|pages=224–241|doi=10.1111/bjep.12059|issn=2044-8279|pmid=25546509}}</ref>

Further work with undergraduates has suggested that these broader benefits apply even if non-academic goals are set. This could imply that the original goal setting theory can be modified to include a more domain general "spread" effect from superordinate life goals and that writing about general life goals regardless of domain can improve academic performance. Developing these life goals can include linked procedures such as i) reflecting on/envisaging one's best possible life, ii) listing good quality goals relevant to achieving this best possible life, iii) strategizing on how to achieve their attainment, iv) reflect in writing about anticipated obstacles, v) developing specific plans for overcoming these anticipated obstacles.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2020-01-01|title=Writing about personal goals and plans regardless of goal type boosts academic performance|journal=Contemporary Educational Psychology|language=en|volume=60|pages=101823|doi=10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101823|issn=0361-476X|doi-access=free|last1=Schippers|first1=Michaéla C.|last2=Morisano|first2=Dominique|last3=Locke|first3=Edwin A.|last4=Scheepers|first4=Ad W.A.|last5=Latham|first5=Gary P.|last6=De Jong|first6=Elisabeth M.|hdl=1765/123006|hdl-access=free}}</ref>