When Goals Are Counterproductive: The Effects of Violation of a Behavioral Goal on Subsequent Performance

Soman, Dilip; Cheema, Amar

doi:10.1086/383423

Cited by 172Behavioral Health and InterventionsDecision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsEmployee Performance and Motivation

When Goals Are Counterproductive: The Effects of Violation of a Behavioral Goal on Subsequent Performance

Soman, Dilip, Cheema, Amar·2004·Journal of Consumer Research

DOI 10.1086/383423

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

A considerable body of research supports the idea that individuals who set behavioral goals perform better than others who set no goals. In this article, we propose that in addition to the positive effects, goals may also have a counterproductive effect. Specifically, we propose that violating one's goal may cause a deterioration of subsequent performance as compared to individuals who have no goals. When the violation of one's goal is coded as a failure, it can result in demotivation, negative emotion, and consequently a poorer performance. We report two experiments that demonstrate the counterproductive effects of goals and discuss potential moderators of this effect along with several possible process explanations.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1086/383423

Cites

27 of 27 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Prior research does not consider how highlighting specific patterns of goal-consistent behavior can become motivating in itself and affect consumers' subsequent decisions.
“Although prior research has explored how progress towards an end goal (or lack thereof) affects subsequent goal-consistent behavior (Cochran and Tesser 1996; Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng 2006; Soman and Cheema 2004), it does not consider how highlighting specific patterns of goal-consistent behavior can become motivating in itself and affect consumers' subsequent decisions.”
From On or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions (2023) · cites this paper as Soman and Cheema 2004
Failure is demotivating and reduces the likelihood of future goal-consistent behaviors.
“Consequently, failure is demotivating and reduces the likelihood of future goal-consistent behaviors (e.g., Soman and Cheema 2004).”
From On or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions (2023) · cites this paper as Soman and Cheema 2004

1 retracted

RETRACTED: Procrastination, Deadlines, and Performance: Self-Control by Precommitment
Ariely, D., & Wertenbroch, K. (2002) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.00441 · Cited by 1,266 · see citing works
Retracted
The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.51.6.1173 · Cited by 91,542 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1985) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 19,180 · see citing works
Handbook of Social Psychology
DeLamater, J., & Ward, A. (2013) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6772-0 · Cited by 7,565 · see citing works
Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans.
Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.54.7.493 · Cited by 5,478 · see citing works
A Theory of Goal Setting and Task PerformanceA Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance, by LockeEdwin A. and LathamGary P.. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1990.
Tosi, H. L. (1991) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1991.4278976 · Cited by 4,147 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1998) · Cited by 2,713 · see citing works
Data analysis
Sivia, D. S. (1996) · Cited by 2,677 · see citing works
Paradoxical effects of thought suppression.
Wegner, D. M., Schneider, D. J., Carter, S. R., & White, T. L. (1987) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.53.1.5 · Cited by 2,127 · see citing works
THE BEHAVIORAL LIFE‐CYCLE HYPOTHESIS
Shefrin, H., & Thaler, R. H. (1988) · Economic Inquiry · doi:10.1111/j.1465-7295.1988.tb01520.x · Cited by 1,704 · see citing works
Yielding to Temptation: Self‐Control Failure, Impulsive Purchasing, and Consumer Behavior
Baumeister, R. F. (2002) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/338209 · Cited by 1,612 · see citing works
Goals as Reference Points
Heath, C., Larrick, R. P., & Wu, G. (1999) · Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1006/cogp.1998.0708 · Cited by 1,009 · see citing works
Mental Budgeting and Consumer Decisions
Heath, C., & Soll, J. B. (1996) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/209465 · Cited by 776 · see citing works
Goal Setting and Goal Striving in Consumer Behavior
Bagozzi, R. P., & Dholakia, U. M. (1999) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.2307/1252098 · Cited by 602 · see citing works
The goal-gradient hypothesis and maze learning.
Hull, C. L. (1932) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/h0072640 · Cited by 593 · see citing works
Cognitive Effort, Affect, and Choice
Garbarino, E., & Edell, J. A. (1997) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/209500 · Cited by 422 · see citing works
The Psychology of Windfall Gains
Arkes, H. R., Joyner, C. A., Pezzo, M. V., Nash, J. G., Siegel-Jacobs, K., & Stone, E. R. (1994) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1006/obhd.1994.1063 · Cited by 409 · see citing works
Making Complementary Choices in Consumption Episodes: Highlighting versus Balancing
Dhar, R., & Simonson, I. (1999) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1177/002224379903600103 · Cited by 357 · see citing works
The role of proximal intentions in self-regulation of refractory behavior
Bandura, A., & Simon, K. M. (1977) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/bf01186792 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Motivational and Volitional Processes in Action Initiation: A Field Study of the Role of Implementation Intentions1
Orbell, S., & Sheeran, P. (2000) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02823.x · Cited by 254 · see citing works
The Devaluation Effect: Activating a Need Devalues Unrelated Objects: Figure 1
Brendl, C. M., Markman, A. B., & Messner, C. (2003) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/346243 · Cited by 217 · see citing works
Regret and Responsibility in the Evaluation of Decision Outcomes
Connolly, T., Ordóñez, L. D., & Coughlan, R. S. (1997) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1006/obhd.1997.2695 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Further evidence on the relationship between goal setting and expectancy theories
Klein, H. J. (1991) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/0749-5978(91)90050-4 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
The "What the Hell" Effect: Some Effects of Goal Proximity and Goal Framing on Performance
Cochran, W., & Tesser, A. (1996) · doi:10.4324/9781315806396-11 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Virtual Progress: The Effect of Path Characteristics on Perceptions of Progress and Choice
Soman, D., & Shi, M. (2003) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.49.9.1229.16574 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Self-citation
Goal-striving and the implementation of goal intentions in the regulation of body weight
Bagozzi, R. P., & Edwards, E. A. (2000) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870440008400305 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
H ull, C lark L
Lovie, S. (2005) · Encyclopedia of Statistics in Behavioral Science · doi:10.1002/0470013192.bsa290 · Cited by 12 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

Sorted by citations

Goals as excuses or guides: the liberating effect of perceived goal progress on choice.
Fishbach, A., & Dhar, R. (2005) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/497548 · Cited by 704 · see citing works
Identity-based consumer behavior
Reed, A., Forehand, M., Puntoni, S., & Warlop, L. (2012) · International Journal of Research in Marketing · doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2012.08.002 · Cited by 658 · see citing works
Subgoals as substitutes or complements: The role of goal accessibility.
Ayelet Fishbach, B., Dhar, R., & Zhang, Y. (2006) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.2.232 · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Untitled work
(2007) · Cited by 350 · see citing works
Nonconscious goals and consumer choice.
Chartrand, T. L., Huber, J., Shiv, B., & Tanner, R. J. (2008) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/588685 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
The dark side of consecutive high performance goals: Linking goal setting, depletion, and unethical behavior
Welsh, D. T., & Ordóñez, L. D. (2014) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2013.07.006 · Cited by 289 · see citing works
Explaining Cognitive Lock-In: The Role of Skill-Based Habits of Use in Consumer Choice
Murray, K. B., & Häubl, G. (2007) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/513048 · Cited by 261 · see citing works
Consumer Psychology: Categorization, Inferences, Affect, and Persuasion
Loken, B. (2005) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190136 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
The Shopping Momentum Effect
Dhar, R., Huber, J., & Khan, U. (2007) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmkr.44.3.370 · Cited by 213 · see citing works
The ABCs of Financial Education: Experimental Evidence on Attitudes, Behavior, and Cognitive Biases
Carpena, F., Cole, S. A., Shapiro, J., & Zia, B. (2017) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.2017.2819 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Prosocial Goal Pursuit in Crowdfunding: Evidence from Kickstarter
Dai, H., & Zhang, D. (2019) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1177/0022243718821697 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Earmarking and Partitioning: Increasing Saving by Low-Income Households
Soman, D., & Cheema, A. (2011) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmkr.48.spl.s14 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Self-citation
What drives our behaviors in buildings? A review on occupant interactions with building systems from the lens of behavioral theories
Heydarian, A., McIlvennie, C., Arpan, L. M., Yousefi, S., Syndicus, M., Schweiker, M., Jazizadeh, F., Rissetto, R., Pisello, A. L., Piselli, C., et al. (2020) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106928 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Framing Goals to Influence Personal Savings: The Role of Specificity and Construal Level
Ülkümen, G., & Cheema, A. (2011) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmr.09.0516 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Self-citation
Not Learning From Failure—the Greatest Failure of All
Eskreis-Winkler, L., & Fishbach, A. (2019) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797619881133 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
The Denomination Effect
Raghubir, P., & Srivastava, J. (2009) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/599222 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Put Your Imperfections Behind You
Dai, H., Milkman, K. L., & Riis, J. (2015) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797615605818 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Consumer Well-Being: Effects of Subgoal Failures and Goal Importance
Devezer, B., Sprott, D. E., Spangenberg, E. R., & Czellar, S. (2013) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1509/jm.11.0599 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Hedonic Eating Goals and Emotion: When Sadness Decreases the Desire to Indulge
Salerno, A. G., Laran, J., & Janiszewski, C. A. (2014) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/675299 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
The Ant and the Grasshopper: Understanding Personal Saving Orientation of Consumers
Dholakia, U. M., Tam, L., Yoon, S., & Wong, N. (2016) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucw004 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
The Bad Can Be Good: When Benign and Malicious Envy Motivate Goal Pursuit
Salerno, A. G., Laran, J., & Janiszewski, C. A. (2018) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucy077 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
The Dynamics of Goal Revision: A Cybernetic Multiperiod Test-Operate-Test-Adjust-Loop (TOTAL) Model of Self-Regulation
Wang, C., & Mukhopadhyay, A. (2011) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/660853 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
How Goal Specificity Shapes Motivation: A Reference Points Perspective
Wallace, S., & Etkin, J. (2017) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucx082 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Motivated to disengage: The ethical consequences of goal commitment and moral disengagement in goal setting
Welsh, D. T., Baer, M. D., Sessions, H., & Garud, N. (2020) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.2467 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
The Fewer the Better: Number of Goals and Savings Behavior
Soman, D., & Zhao, M. (2011) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmr.10.0250 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Self-citation
Enduring Effects of Goal Achievement and Failure Within Customer Loyalty Programs: A Large-Scale Field Experiment
Wang, Y., Lewis, M. V., Cryder, C. E., & Sprigg, J. (2016) · Marketing Science · doi:10.1287/mksc.2015.0966 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Cooking Up a Recipe for Self-Control: The Three Ingredients of Self-Control and its Impact on Impulse Buying
Roberts, J. A., & Manolis, C. (2012) · The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice · doi:10.2753/mtp1069-6679200204 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Resisting That Triple-Chocolate Cake: Mental Budgets and Self-Control
Krishnamurthy, P., & Prokopec, S. (2009) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/649650 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
The Role of Within-Trip Dynamics in Unplanned versus Planned Purchase Behavior
Gilbride, T. J., Inman, J. J., & Stilley, K. (2015) · Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1509/jm.13.0286 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Is Planning Good for You? The Differential Impact of Planning on Self-Regulation
Townsend, C., & Liu, W. J. (2012) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/665053 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Think global, act local: The effect of goal and mindset specificity on willingness to donate to an environmental organization
Rabinovich, A., Morton, T. A., Postmes, T., & Verplanken, B. (2009) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.004 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
More Than a Penny Saved: Long‐Term Changes in Behavior Among Savings Program Participants
Loibl, C., Grinstein‐Weiss, M., Zhan, M., & Bird, B. R. (2010) · Journal of Consumer Affairs · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01159.x · Cited by 64 · see citing works
You Think Failure Is Hard? So Is Learning From It
Eskreis-Winkler, L., & Ayelet Fishbach, B. (2022) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/17456916211059817 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Leave Home without it? The Effects of Credit Card Debt and Available Credit on Spending
Wilcox, K., Block, L., & Eisenstein, E. M. (2011) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmkr.48.spl.s78 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Mining Consumer Minds: Downstream Consequences of Host Motivations for Home-Sharing Platforms
Chung, J., Johar, G. V., Li, Y., Netzer, O., & Pearson, M. (2021) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucab034 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Context-Dependent Effects of Goal Primes
Laran, J., Janiszewski, C. A., & Cunha, M. (2008) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/592127 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
How being busy can increase motivation and reduce task completion time.
Wilcox, K., Laran, J., Stephen, A., & Zubcsek, P. P. (2016) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspa0000045 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Incautiously Optimistic: Positively Valenced Cognitive Avoidance in Adult ADHD
Knouse, L. E., & Mitchell, J. T. (2015) · Cognitive and Behavioral Practice · doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.06.003 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-Control and Optimal Goals: A Theoretical Analysis
Jain, S. (2009) · Marketing Science · doi:10.1287/mksc.1090.0492 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
How experiencing and anticipating temporal landmarks influence motivation
Dai, H., & Li, C. (2018) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.012 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
The impact of temporary deferrals on future blood donation behavior across the donor life cycle
Clément, M., Shehu, E., & Chandler, T. (2021) · Transfusion · doi:10.1111/trf.16387 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
The “Response-to-Failure” Scale: Predicting Behavior following Initial Self-Control Failure
Zemack‐Rugar, Y., Corus, C., & Brinberg, D. L. (2012) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmr.10.0510 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Unraveling the "Social" in Social Norms: The Conditioning Effect of User Connectivity
Liu, C.-W., Gao, G., & Agarwal, R. (2019) · Information systems research · doi:10.1287/isre.2019.0862 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
On or Off Track: How (Broken) Streaks Affect Consumer Decisions
Silverman, J., & Barasch, A. (2023) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucac029 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Seize the Time! How Perceived Busyness Influences Tourists’ Preferences for Destination Advertising Messages
Yang, C., & Hu, J. (2023) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/00472875231164979 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
How backup plans can harm goal pursuit: The unexpected downside of being prepared for failure
Shin, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2016) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.04.003 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
The Benefits of Emergency Reserves: Greater Preference and Persistence for Goals that Have Slack with a Cost
Sharif, M. A., & Shu, S. B. (2016) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmr.15.0231 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Savings goals and wealth allocation in household financial portfolios
Changwony, F. K., Campbell, K., & Tabner, I. T. (2021) · Journal of Banking & Finance · doi:10.1016/j.jbankfin.2020.106028 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Impact of a Stretch Strategy on Knowledge Creation in Quality Improvement Projects
Choo, A. S. (2010) · IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management · doi:10.1109/tem.2010.2048913 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Wanting Ever More: Acquisition Procedure Motivates Continued Reward Acquisition
Zhang, Y., & Gao, L. (2016) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucw017 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Losing Sight of Piecemeal Progress: People Lump and Dismiss Improvement Efforts That Fall Short of Categorical Change—Despite Improving
O’Brien, E. (2022) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/09567976221075302 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
The Influence of Budgets on Consumer Spending
Lukas, M., & Howard, R. (2022) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucac024 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Stages of management control in a large public organization: from top to frontline managers
Deschamps, C. (2019) · Journal of Management Control · doi:10.1007/s00187-019-00282-z · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Delay and duration effects of time frames on personal savings estimates and behavior
Tam, L., & Dholakia, U. M. (2010) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2010.10.009 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Anticipated temporal landmarks undermine motivation for continued goal pursuit
Koo, M., Dai, H., Mai, K. M., & Song, C. E. (2020) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.06.002 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
How Much Irrationality Does the Market Permit?
Schwartz, A. (2008) · The Journal of Legal Studies · doi:10.1086/519963 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Self‐control: Information, priorities, and resources
Laran, J. (2019) · Consumer Psychology Review · doi:10.1002/arcp.1058 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Nudging persistence after failure through emergency reserves
Sharif, M. A., & Shu, S. B. (2019) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.01.004 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Embrace the debate: Goals, de‐marketing overconsumption, and conflicting information
Bareket‐Bojmel, L., Grinstein, A., & Steinhart, Y. (2020) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21394 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Setting Goals and Taking Ownership
Karakowsky, L., & Mann, S. L. (2007) · Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies · doi:10.1177/1071791907308047 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Bright spots, physical activity investments that work: Sweatcoin: a steps generated virtual currency for sustained physical activity behaviour change
Derlyatka, A., Fomenko, O., Eck, F., Khmelev, E., & Elliott, M. T. (2019) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-099739 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Identifying Success on the Process Level Reduces Negative Effects of Prior Weight Loss on Subsequent Weight Loss During a Low‐Calorie Diet
Hennecke, M., & Freund, A. M. (2013) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12021 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Emotion as Cause, Effect, Mediator, and Moderator in Marketing: An Integrative Review and Future Research Directions
Aeron, S., & Rahman, Z. (2024) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.2430 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Defining open goals for the promotion of health behaviours: a critical conceptual review
Swann, C., Goddard, S. G., Schweickle, M. J., Hawkins, R. M., Williamson, O., Gargioli, D., Clarke, M. M., Jackman, P. C., & Vella, S. A. (2025) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2025.2467695 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Tourists prefer competent appearance robot over warm one: The effect of busyness perception
Yang, C., & Xu, X. (2024) · Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.06.015 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Climbing the Wrong Ladder: The Mismatch between Consumers' Preference for Subgoal Sequences and Actual Goal Performance
Jin, L., Xu, Q., & Zhang, Y. (2015) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1509/jmr.13.0014 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Repeated exposure to the thin ideal and implications for the self: Two weight loss program studies
Klesse, A.-K., Goukens, C., Geyskens, K., & de Ruyter, K. (2012) · International Journal of Research in Marketing · doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2012.06.003 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Nonconscious Nudges: Encouraging Sustained Goal Pursuit
Laran, J., Janiszewski, C. A., & Salerno, A. G. (2018) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucy071 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
An Evaluation of the Effects of Very Difficult Goals
Roose, K. M., & Williams, W. (2017) · Journal of Organizational Behavior Management · doi:10.1080/01608061.2017.1325820 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
The dynamics of self-regulation: When goals commit versus liberate
Ayelet Fishbach, B., & Zhang, Y. (2008) · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Work-to-Unlock Rewards: Leveraging Goals in Reward Systems to Increase Consumer Persistence
Sharif, M. A., & Woolley, K. (2021) · Journal of Consumer Research · doi:10.1093/jcr/ucac007 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Time in relation to goals
Etkin, J. (2018) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.013 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Problematic Internet Usage self-control dilemmas: The opposite effects of commitment and progress framing cues on perceived value of internet, academic and social behaviors.
Dunbar, D., Proeve, M. J., & Roberts, R. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.12.039 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Communication strategies for multi-tier loyalty programs: The role of progress framing
Zeng, K. J., Yu, I. Y., Yang, M. X., & Chan, H. (2022) · Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104460 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Collect them all! Increasing product category cross-selling using the incompleteness effect
Bauer, C., Spangenberg, K., Spangenberg, E. R., & Herrmann, A. P. (2022) · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · doi:10.1007/s11747-021-00835-6 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Increasing saving intentions through leaderboards: A gamification approach
Zhang, Y., van Horen, F., & Zeelenberg, M. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0249283 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Success, Failure, and Information: How Households Respond to Energy Conservation Goals
Fraser, A. (2022) · Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists · doi:10.1086/721094 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Hyperbolic discounting and the repeated self-control problem
Kim, J.-Y. (2006) · Journal of Economic Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.joep.2005.06.018 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Examining the Effect of Expressing a Quantitative Goal on Consumer Savings
Loibl, C., & Scharff, R. L. (2010) · Journal of Consumer Affairs · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01160.x · Cited by 11 · see citing works
The Effect of Student Loan Debt on Spending: The Role of Repayment Format
Zhang, Y., Wilcox, R. T., & Cheema, A. (2019) · Journal of Public Policy & Marketing · doi:10.1177/0743915619847465 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citation
Justifiable justifications in sequential indulgent choice situations: A framework for future research based on perceived exceptionality
Feurer, S., & Haws, K. L. (2022) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.05.044 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-Defeating Goals
Hansson, O. (2016) · dialectica · doi:10.1111/1746-8361.12161 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
When waiting pays off: The impact of delayed goal failure on self‐perception and self‐regulation
Kliamenakis, A., & Sobol, K. (2021) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21459 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
A double-edged sword: How and why resetting performance metrics affects motivation and performance
Dai, H. (2018) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.06.002 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Impulse and reason? Justifications in problem gambling
Wu, R., & Clark, L. (2024) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108072 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
The Harmonization of Contract Law through European Rules: a Law and Economics Perspective
Gómez, F. (2008) · Repositori digital de la UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Goal Setting in Exercise and Physical Activity: An Expert Statement on Behalf of Exercise and Sports Science Australia
Swann, C., Buchan, J., Calleja, E., Goddard, S. G., Clarke, M. M., Hawkins, R. M., Jackman, P. C., Schweickle, M. J., Vella, S. A., & Rosenbaum, S. (2026) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.1007/s40279-025-02373-5 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Not all dieters are the same: Development of the Diet Balancing Scale
Xie, Y., Mandel, N., & Gardner, M. P. (2021) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.056 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
High-performance goals as a predictor of supervisor expediency and supervisor bottom-line mentality as a moderator
Fayyaz, H., & Waheed, A. (2023) · Cogent Business & Management · doi:10.1080/23311975.2023.2210893 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The Effects of Goal Publicity and Self‐Monitoring on Escalation of Goal Commitment
Jiao, J., & Cole, C. A. (2020) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.1806 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Coping Research in the Broader Perspective
Han, D., Duhachek, A., & Agrawal, N. (2015) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781107706552.011 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The effects of anticipated goal‐inconsistent behavior on present goal choices
Zemack‐Rugar, Y., & Corus, C. (2018) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21115 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Non-conformances in infrastructure engineer-to-order production systems
Love, P. E. D., Matthews, J., & Mahamivanan, H. (2025) · International Journal of Production Research · doi:10.1080/00207543.2025.2505156 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Digital tracking, gamification, social media, and AI: How technology influences motivation
Woolley, K., & Sharif, M. A. (2025) · Consumer Psychology Review · doi:10.1002/arcp.70004 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Threat specificity in fear appeals: examination of fear response and motivated behavior
Sobol, K., & Giroux, M. (2023) · Journal of Consumer Marketing · doi:10.1108/jcm-02-2021-4487 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Organization-Set High-Performance Goals and Employee Expediency Syndrome: An Underlying Mechanism of Supervisor Expediency and Illegitimate Tasks
Fayyaz, H., & Waheed, A. (2023) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440231164564 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Shame Withdraws, Guilt Corrects: Distinguishing Shame and Guilt in Goal Pursuit—An Experimental Study
Semaan, R. W. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15060725 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
What could be? Depends on who you ask: Using latent profile analysis and natural language processing to identify the different types and content of utopian visions
Lizzio‐Wilson, M., Thomas, E. F., Wenzel, M., Haines, E. G., Stevens, J., Fighera, D., Williams, P., Arthurson, S., Osborne, D., & Skitka, L. J. (2025) · British Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjso.12853 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Supermarket suggested shopping lists (SSSL), promotions and grocery purchases
Londoño, J. C., & Castano, R. (2017) · The International Review of Retail Distribution and Consumer Research · doi:10.1080/09593969.2017.1288650 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
The effects of romantic motives on numerical preferences
Kim, A. (2020) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21354 · Cited by 5 · see citing works

Authors: Soman, D., & Cheema, A.
Affiliations: University of Toronto (CA)
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
ORCID: Soman, Dilip
Venue: Journal of Consumer Research
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published: 2004-06
Volume: 31
Issue: 1
Pages: 52-62
ISSN: 0093-5301 (ISSN-L)
1537-5277
DOI: 10.1086/383423
OpenAlex: W2085296922
Cited by: 172
References: 27
Citations by year: 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
FWCI: 4.09
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Employee Performance and Motivation
Keywords: goal setting, behavioral objectives, counterproductive effects, performance degradation, demotivation, negative emotions, failure

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

When Goals Are Counterproductive: The Effects of Violation of a Behavioral Goal on Subsequent Performance

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks