TY - JOUR
T1 - Making sense of one's actions in an explanatory vacuum
T2 - The interpretation of nonconscious goal striving
AU - Parks-Stamm, Elizabeth J.
AU - Oettingen, Gabriele
AU - Gollwitzer, Peter M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This material is based on work supported under a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awarded to the first author. The authors would like to thank members of the Motivation Lab for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript, as well as Ashley Simpson, Anthony Brinn, Emily Hayden, and Caitlin Bowman for their research assistance.
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - Previous research has found that performing norm-violating behaviors based on a nonconsciously-activated goal elicits negative affect (Oettingen, Grant, Smith, Skinner, & Gollwitzer, 2006). In the present research we explored whether this negative affect is eliminated when an earlier conscious goal with congruent behavioral effects can be used to explain the norm-violating behavior. Our findings suggest that applicable conscious goals are indeed used to interpret nonconsciously-activated goal striving (Study 1), and that this interpretation occurs reflexively rather than reflectively (Study 2), with implications for interpersonal behavior (Study 3). The role of social norms, applicable conscious goals, and negative affect in the interpretation of nonconscious goal pursuit is discussed.
AB - Previous research has found that performing norm-violating behaviors based on a nonconsciously-activated goal elicits negative affect (Oettingen, Grant, Smith, Skinner, & Gollwitzer, 2006). In the present research we explored whether this negative affect is eliminated when an earlier conscious goal with congruent behavioral effects can be used to explain the norm-violating behavior. Our findings suggest that applicable conscious goals are indeed used to interpret nonconsciously-activated goal striving (Study 1), and that this interpretation occurs reflexively rather than reflectively (Study 2), with implications for interpersonal behavior (Study 3). The role of social norms, applicable conscious goals, and negative affect in the interpretation of nonconscious goal pursuit is discussed.
KW - Automatic
KW - Explanatory vacuum
KW - Nonconscious goals
KW - Social norms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77949874527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77949874527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jesp.2010.02.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jesp.2010.02.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77949874527
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 46
SP - 531
EP - 542
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
IS - 3
ER -