Two studies are reported on an aspect of goal setting that has
not been explicitly researched to date, namely, intra-individual goal
conflict. The first study utilized an experimental, laboratory design
using student teams in which conflicting goals (quantity vs. quality) were assigned. The second study was a correlational, field study of
college professors which measured conflict between teaching and
research. In both studies conflict was negatively related to at least one
performance outcome. This negative association was not mediated by
goal commitment, goal priority, goal level or task strategies in either
study. In both cases, the main source of the conflict was pressure.
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