Differences among Goals

Goals differ in several important ways. First, they differ in the degree of challenge they present; more difficult goals require higher levels of effort, attention, time, knowledge, and skill to achieve (Locke & Latham, 1990).

Second, goals differ in their timing. Some goals appear to require urgent action, whereas other goals are less urgent and could remain a goal for life (Canary, Cody, & Manusov, 2008). Naturally, people focus more on their urgent goals (e.g., spending your money this summer on travelling) than long-term goals (e.g., sav­ing money for a new car next year). Other people can flip their goal priorities, so the long-term goals become more of a catalyst for behavior than immediate satisfaction (you decide to save your money for a car).

Finally, goals differ in their abstractness (Cody, Canary, & Smith, 1994). Some goals, labeled supraordinate, include many events but are too general to offer much insight regarding concrete behaviors (e.g., “I want to have fun”). Basic-level goals differentiate people’s behavior in through participants’ relationship with regard to (1) the role relationship of other people involved, and (2) a more concrete objec­tive. A basic-level goal that falls under the supraordinate goal of being likeable could be “I want my friend to share an activity with me.” This basic-level goal specifies a role relationship (friend) and the behavior (share activity). People are most aware of this type of goal and can remember this goal (“My friend Dave and I went out”) (Austin & Vancouver, 1996). Again, role relationships and objectives define the basic-level goal. The most specific goal type, subordinate goals, do not generalize to other situations because they are unique to the people involved and the behavior that occurs (e.g., “I want my friend Carol to go shopping with me this Saturday”). It is impossible to make generalizations from people’s subordinate goals. Thus, scholars have examined basic-level goals.