Editing Goal setting (section)

==Main idea==
After controlling for ability, goals that are difficult to achieve and specific tend to increase performance far more than easy goals, no goals or telling people to do their best. It therefore follows that the simplest motivational explanation of why some individuals outperform others is that they have different goals.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Swezey |first1=Robert W. |last2=Meltzer |first2=Andrew L. |last3=Salas |first3=Eduardo |editor1-last=O'Neil |editor1-first=Harold F. |editor2-last=Drillings |editor2-first=Michael |title=Motivation: theory and research |chapter=Some issues involved in motivating teams |location=Hillsdale, NJ |publisher=[[Lawrence Erlbaum Associates]] |isbn=978-0-8058-1287-9 |oclc=29952231 |year=1994 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=2uEr4OSWHY0C&pg=PA146 146]}}</ref> A goal can be made more specific by:

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quantification (that is, making it measurable), such as by pursuing "increase productivity by 50%" instead of "increase productivity",
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enumeration, such as by defining tasks that must be completed to achieve the goal instead of only defining the goal.
}}

Setting goals can affect outcomes in four ways:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Latham |first1=Gary P. |last2=Budworth |first2=Marie-Hélène |chapter=The study of work motivation in the 20th century |editor1-last=Koppes |editor1-first=Laura L. |editor2-last=Thayer |editor2-first=Paul W. |editor3-last=Vinchur |editor3-first=Andrew J. |editor4-last=Salas |editor4-first=Eduardo |title=Historical perspectives in industrial and organizational psychology |series=Series in applied psychology |location=Mahwah, NJ |publisher=[[Lawrence Erlbaum Associates]] |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-8058-4440-5 |oclc=71725282 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vJ3KAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA353 353–382] (366)}}</ref>

{{glossary begin}}

{{term|Choice}}
{{defn|Goals may narrow someone's attention and direct their efforts toward goal-relevant activities and away from goal-irrelevant actions.}}

{{term|Effort}}
{{defn|Goals may make someone more effortful. For example, if someone usually produces 4 widgets per hour but wants to produce 6 widgets per hour, then they may work harder to produce more widgets than without that goal.}}

{{term|Persistence}}
{{defn|Goals may make someone more willing to work through setbacks.}}

{{term|Cognition}}
{{defn|Goals may cause someone to develop and change their behavior.}}

{{glossary end}}