Huang & Aaker (2019), Study 6
Huang, S.-C., & Aaker, J. (2019, June 24). It's the Journey, Not the Destination: How Metaphor Drives Growth After Goal Attainment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000164
We went to the African country of Ghana and assigned executives who had just completed an executive education program to a journey metaphor, a destination metaphor, or a no-metaphor control condition. In the two metaphor conditions, executives participated in a 30-min thought practice, guided by three trained on-site interviewers in conjunction with the graduation ceremony. Six months after graduation, all executives were asked to report their continuing goal-aligned behaviors (i.e., continuing to implement business practices from the program) through the program's standard follow-up survey either online or over the phone (when an Internet connection was not available). We found that those who thought of the program as a journey reported higher tendency to continue executing the business practices they learned in the program.
Changing beliefs about personal experiences and contexts that lack meaning
Am I working together with others to accomplish personal or collective goals?Am I working together with others to accomplish personal or collective goals?Faciliating beliefs that sustain belonging in the face of challenges
Am I working together with others to accomplish personal or collective goals?
Faciliating beliefs that sustain belonging in the face of challenges
Active reflection, on goals
Duckworth et al., 2013: Reflecting about obstacles and solutions, about personal goals, improved academic achievement among urban 5th graders over a quarter
Chen et al., 2017: Reflecting on, and planning to use learning resources improved performance in statistics among undergraduate students
Increasing commitment through action
Miu & Yeager, 2015: Emphasizing how people can change reduced depressive symptoms among high schoolers over nine months