Help my Google-fu

[yesthattom]

In the last year (maybe last 6 months) there was a study that found that people that don't set goals are less successful than people that do set goals. It got a lot of press because people were saying, "Duh! They got a grant for that? How about a grant to find out if water is wet?"

I'm looking for references to the article/study/paper. This is for something I'm writing about goal setting, actually, which I feel is a very important part of time management.

What makes this a challange is that Googling for "study" or "goals" or "success" results in a million hits related to other things.

Thanks,
Tom

Comments

[polydad.livejournal.com]

people that don't set goals are less successful than people that don't.

Tom, I think you've got one too many "don'ts" in that sentence. Which should go?

best,

Joel. Or not.

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

fixed

[lillilah]

Using this search string - study "people who set goals" successful - I found lots of references to the study you talked about. With that you probably could get enough extra info (like adding in the bit about how the study was conducted on a university class) to find your study.

[fes42.livejournal.com]

Perhaps Google Scholar? However, my google magic is weaker than most.

[awfief.livejournal.com]

http://scholar.google.com

try "goal setting" or "goal setting" and "task performance"

[maxdwolf.livejournal.com]

Just gonna throw a couple links at ya. "Studies based upon goal-setting theory indicate that levels of specification and participation are related to level of success in goal attainment."
"In an amazing longitudinal study on goal setting, Yale University surveyed the graduating class of 1953 on commencement day..."

I've also got a few hits that mention a Ford foundation study. All but one of them were from essays by Peter Spellman or discussion of his book. One other reference by a George Schmidt. Oddly, no other hits and a light, quick search at the Ford Foundation site didn't bring up anything. Also got hits for more specialized studies on goal setting (i.e. as relating to reading or studying arithmetic).