This study examined the effect of self-efficacy, goals, and task strategies on goal choice and task performance. Self-efficacy and task strategies were manipulated through training. Ability, past performance and self-efficacy were the major predictors of goal choice. Ability, self-efficacy, goals and task strategies were all related to task performance. Self-efficacy was more strongly related to past performance than to future performance but was still a significant predictor of future performance when past performance was controlled. Self-efficacy ratings for moderate to difficult levels of performance were the best predictors of future performance. This finding was replicated when two previous goal setting studies, which had found no positive expectancy-performance relationship across goal groups, were re-analyzed. It is suggested that the concept of self-efficacy might provide an integrating mechanism between the goal setting and social learning theory approaches to task performance.

This book concentrates on the last twenty years of research in the area of goal setting and performance at work. The editors and contributors believe goals affect action, and this volume has a lineup of international contributors who look at the recent theories and implications in this area for IO psychologists and human resource management academics and graduate students.

Personality and Individual Differences is a state-of-the-art undergraduate textbook that covers the salient and recent literature on personality, intellectual ability, motivation and other individual differences such as creativity, emotional intelligence, leadership and vocational interests. This third edition has been completely revised and updated to include the most up-to-date and cutting-edge data and analysis. As well as introducing all topics related to individual differences, this book examines and discusses many important underlying issues, such as the psychodynamic approach to latent variables, validity, reliability and correlations between constructs. An essential textbook for first-time as well as more advanced students of the discipline, Personality and Individual Differences provides grounding in all major aspects of differential psychology.