EFFECTS OF GOAL CHOICE, STRATEGY CHOICE, AND FEEDBACK SOURCE ON GOAL ACCEPTANCE, PERFORMANCE AND SUBSEQUENT GOALS

This study examined the effects of goal choice, strategy choice, and feedback source on goal acceptance, performance, and future self‐set goals. The results were partially consistent with earlier work by Earley and Kanfer (1985) in that goal and strategy choice interacted to affect initial performance and goal acceptance. However, the nature of the performance interaction was not as expected. Results pertaining to future goals and subsequent performance suggested that goal choice was an important determinant of future goals and that feedback, goal choice, and strategy choice interacted to influence subsequent performance. Contrary to expectations, feedback source did not exert a main effect on subsequent performance, goal setting, or perceptions of feedback acceptance and usefulness. Discussion centered on the differential impact of choice on perceptual and behavioral variables and the failure of self‐feedback to significantly affect subsequent goals and performance. Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved