Document Type

Podium Presentation

Publication Date

2007

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

87th Convention of the Western Psychological Association

Location

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Department

Psychology

Abstract/Presentation Excerpt

Perhaps you have heard of the Yale (or Harvard Business School) study of goals in which only 3% of the graduating class had specific written goals for their futures. Twenty years later that 3% was found to be earning an astounding 10 times that of the group that had no clear goals. Well, it turns out that this “study” is merely an “urban myth,” as extensive reviews of the research literature by me and by Steven Kraus (a social psychologist from Harvard) as well as investigative reporting by Fast Company magazine revealed that no such study had ever been done!

However, the widespread mention of this non-existent study in business circles as well as the need for research into the techniques used by business coaches provided impetus for my current research, which was focused on how goal achievement is influenced by writing goals, committing to goal-directed actions and being accountable for those actions.

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Rights

Copyright Gail Matthews 2015. All Rights Reserved.

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