Rewards and curiosity
Goal-setting theory
Specific, challenging goals lead to better performance than "do your best."
Well supportedSeveral studies or meta-analyses point the same way.
Example
"Walk 8,000 steps a day" gets people moving more than "walk a lot."
Why it works
A specific goal directs attention and draws out effort and persistence. Progress feedback strengthens the effect. It assumes the person has accepted the goal.
On the web
In onboarding and campaigns, state goals with a number and an end, such as "set up three things." Show progress on the same screen.
When it backfires
Goals that are too hard or imposed lead people to give up. Targets that feel like quotas erode the sense of choice.
Sources
Reviews 35 years of research showing that specific, difficult goals outperform "do your best" instructions.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717. Open source
Connect with the classics
These links are editorial readings, not research findings. Check the original meaning on each classics page.
知止而后有定。Know where to rest, and your aim becomes fixed. A specific goal directs attention and effort, as goal-setting theory says.
The Great Learning Main text: purpose and sequence →