The progress that motivates - when we want to: Perceived progress as a mediator of the relationship between self-concordance and ongoing effort expenditure
The progress that motivates - when we want to: Perceived progress as a mediator of the relationship between self-concordance and ongoing effort expenditure

Summary/Abstract: The present study examines the proposal that perceived progress mediates the relationship between self-concordance and continued effort expenditure. According to Sheldon and Elliot (1999), goal-striving consists of a positive relationship between motivation, effort and goal attainment. There is a positive influence of motivation on the applied effort which is reflected in the progress in goal attainment. However, when goal pursuit is prolonged, the repeated monitoring of goal progress takes place and the result of this monitoring may influence further effort expenditure (Carver & Scheier, 2016; Uy, Foo, & Ilies, 2015). Accordingly, on the one hand, the actual state is influenced by the effort that has been exerted. On the other hand, perceived progress has some implications for the ongoing (consequent) effort. In fact, it was shown that the effect of perceived progress on further goal striving can be ambiguous (Fishbach, Eyal, & Finkelstein, 2010). In some cases, partial success results in increased effort, however, in other cases, the increase in effort is more apparent when previous progress does not meet expectations. The main aim of the present study was to verify the relationship between autonomous vs. controlled motivation and exerted effort in continuing goal achievement at the stage where the monitoring of goal progress is part of further goal attainment. In particular, if perceived progress acts as a mediator in the relationship between autonomous motivation (self-concordance) and ongoing effort. This focus on motivation can shed some light on why the achievement of partial progress sometimes leads to an increase and sometimes to a decrease in the consequent effort towards a goal. In our study, it was hypothesized that our data are in line with a simple mediation model proposing that perceived progress accounts for the variance between self-concordance and effort expenditure, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally (H1). Additionally, it was expected that self-concordance is positively related to perceived progress (H2), and perceived progress is related to the effort (H3). However, as both directions are possible regarding this relationship, a further corroboration of this issue was the additional aim of this study. In order to corroborate this issue thoroughly, one exploratory (N=280); and two additional confirmatory studies were conducted, a cross-sectional conceptual replication with N=191 high school students and longitudinal study with first-year undergraduate university students (analyzed both longitudinally, N=135; and cross-sectionally - measurement 1 at the beginning of the semester, N=245, vs. measurement 2 at the end of the semester, N=190). The results of the simple mediation analysis in study 1 have indicated that progress accounts for the variance between self-concordance and effort. The more self-concordant the goal was, the more progress was made, and the more effort was put in. The direct effect of self-concordance on effort was significant (b = .071, SE = .019, 95 % CI [.034, .108]); and the indirect effect of self-concordance through goal progress on effort was significant as well (b = .026, SE = .009, 95 % CI [.011, .046]). The pattern of results from study 2 was in line with study 1. Perceived progress accounted for the variance between self-concordance and effort. The direct effect of self-concordance on effort was not significant (b = .036, SE = .056, 95 % CI [-.074, .146]); and the indirect effect of self-concordance through goal progress on effort was significant (b = .201, SE = .045, 95 % CI [.118, .296]). In study 3, measurements were carried out twice, at the beginning of the semester, and at the end of the semester. Analysis of data at the beginning of the semester showed that the direct effect of self-concordance on effort was significant (b = .173, SE = .046, 95 % CI [.083, .262]). The indirect effect of self-concordance through goal progress on the effort was significant as well (b = .103, SE = .0,23, 95 % CI [.062, .153]). Analysis of data at the end of the semester showed that the direct effect of self-concordance on effort was not significant (b = .026, SE = .051, 95 % CI [-.074, .126]). The indirect effect of self-concordance through goal progress on effort was significant (b = .132, SE = .046, 95 % CI [.041, .222]). The results of study 3 at both measurement points were, therefore, in line with previous studies. The results of the longitudinal analysis were in line with previous results although only when the separate index of autonomous motivation was used. Using self-concordance index, the direct effect of self-concordance on effort was not significant (b = -.024, SE = .054, 95 % CI [-.132, .083]). Nor was the indirect effect of self-concordance through goal progress on effort (b = .038, SE = .035, 95 % CI [-.031, -.107]). However, when analyzing the autonomous and controlled motivations separately, as suggested e.g. by Koestner et al. (2008), full mediation occurred with the index of autonomous motivation. Perceived progress fully mediated the relationship between the variables. The direct effect of autonomous motivation on effort was not significant (b = .111, SE = .101, 95 % CI [-.088, .310]) while indirect effect of autonomous motivation through goal progress on effort was significant (b = .155, SE = .062, 95 % CI [.039, .282]). To sum up, it has been shown that perceived progress either partially (studies 1 and 3) or fully (studies 2 and 3) mediated the relationship between self-concordance and effort. Furthermore, the results of the longitudinal study corroborated this pattern of results; although only when the separate index of autonomous motivation was used. The results were in line with the prediction that perceived progress mediates the relationship between self-concordance and consequent effort. Furthermore, both self-concordance and perceived progress were positively related to effort expenditure.

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