A multilevel,longitudinal examination of goal conflict & goal harmony

Abstract

Contemporary theories of personality dynamics propose that adaptive functioning in daily life requires effective coordination of multiple goals. Goal conflict, where the pursuit of one goal lowers the ability to pursue another goal, and goal harmony, where the pursuit of one goal facilitates the pursuit of another, are typically viewed as direct opposites, but empirical evidence suggests that they represent distinct processes. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether goal conflict and goal harmony are dynamically linked over time—and whether that link differs when examined (a) within people for specific goals versus (b) between people across their overall goal systems. Goal conflict and harmony were investigated in two studies (N _Total = 849) using multilevel random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. At the within-person level, goal harmony and goal conflict were negatively associated both at a concurrent and cross-lagged level. At the between-person level, goal conflict and goal harmony were not significantly associated. These findings indicate that goal harmony and goal conflict are in tension, on average, in the context of specific goals but not associated when considered across the entire goal system. This research advances our understanding of how people pursue multiple goals.

Plain language summary

Most people juggle multiple goals in their daily lives—for example, advancing their career, staying healthy, and spending time with family. Sometimes goals compete with each other (goal conflict; like when working late conflicts with family time), and sometimes they help each other (goal harmony; like when exercising with friends supports both fitness and social goals). Although these are often considered as being situated on different ends of a single continuum, this study investigated whether they are best understood as distinct constructs. Goal interactions were investigated in two ways: (1) examining the conflict and harmony experienced for a specific goal in relation to other goals and (2) looking at people’s overall patterns across all their goals combined. When looking at an individual goal, goal conflict and harmony were in tension, on average; when a goal conflicted more with other goals in the goal system, it hindered other goals other more and vice versa. However, when considering people’s overall goal systems, there was no relation between goal conflict and harmony. This research demonstrates that managing multiple goals is more nuanced than previously considered. When two goals are in harmony, they are less likely to conflict over time. When two goals are in conflict, they are less likely to help each other over time. When considering the typical levels of conflict and harmony a person has amongst all their goals, goal conflict and harmony are not related.