Abstract thought emphasizes goal performance; Concrete thought emphasizes goal completion

Karen Z. Naufel, Denise R. Beike

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

People can construe goals concretely, focusing on how goals are implemented. Alternatively, people can construe goals abstractly, focusing on why goals are implemented. The present research examined bow concrete and abstract construals influence expectations regarding goal completion and goal performance. Six-hundred seventy-six students enrolled in General Psychology were instructed to construe the course concretely or abstractly, and they reported the likelihood of completing the course and performing well in the course. Students who construed the course concretely thought they would be more likely to complete the course, but perform more poorly, than students who construed the course abstractly. Different construals of the same goal affect people's expectations regarding if goals can be completed and how well goals can be performed, suggesting a disconnect between what is worth doing and what is worth doing well.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)97-110
Number of pages14
JournalNorth American Journal of Psychology
Volume11
Issue number1
StatePublished - Mar 2009

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