Toward an Integration of Goal Setting Theory and the Automaticity Model

Two laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the extent to which goal setting theory explains the effects of goals that are primed in the subconscious on task performance. The first experiment examined the effect on performance of three primes that connote the difficulty levels of a goal in the subconscious. Participants (n = 91) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions where they were primed with either a photograph of a person lifting 20 pounds (easy goal), 200 pounds (moderately difficult goal), or 400 pounds (difficult goal). Following a filler task, participants were asked to “press as hard as you can” on a digital weight scale. Participants who were primed with the difficult goal exerted more effort than those who were primed with the moderate or easy goal. The second experiment examined whether choice of goal difficulty level can be primed. Participants (n = 133) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Those primed with a difficult goal consciously chose to set a more difficult goal on a brainstorming task than those who were primed with an easier goal. Similarly, their performance was significantly higher. Conscientiousness moderated the subconscious goal–performance relationship while the self‐set conscious goal partially mediated the subconscious goal–performance relationship.     

Diffusion of an effective skin cancer prevention program: design, theoretical foundations, and first-year implementation.

This article describes the design and theoretical foundations of the Pool Cool Diffusion Trial and reports 1st-year findings. Aims of the study are to evaluate the effects of 2 strategies for diffusion of the Pool Cool sun safety program on implementation, maintenance, and sustainability; improvements in environmental supports for sun safety in swimming pools; and sun protection habits and sunburn among participating children. There was a high rate of program participation (86.6%; n=375 swimming pools) in the 1st year and somewhat lower study participation (75.8%). Analysis of pool manager surveys revealed a time effect for overall sun safety programs and for sun safety policies, environmental strategies, and programs for pool users. There were few differences in implementation between treatment groups in year one.     

Men as Allies: The Efficacy of a High School Rape Prevention Intervention

This study investigated the effects of a Men as Allies‐based intervention on high school students' rape‐supportive attitudes and behaviors. As hypothesized at posttest, the male and female experimental groups demonstrated a significant decrease in rape‐supportive attitudes, which was maintained at follow‐up. Male participants viewed peers' attitudes toward sexual violence as significantly different (worse) from peers' pretest self‐ratings; after intervention, male and female experimental group participants' peer ratings were significantly more accurate.