Whistle while you work : the role of mindset and mood on goal motivation

Abstract

My dissertation investigates the interactive effects of mindset and mood on motivation in consumers’ goal striving. In seven studies, I find that for those in a process mindset, positive (vs. neutral) mood decreases motivation. Conversely, being in a positive (vs. neutral) mood leads to increased motivation for those in an outcome mindset. The reason for this is rooted in the mood-creativity link, which leads individuals to generate more activities, or means, by which a goal may be achieved when in a positive mood. For those in a process mindset, a large set of goal attainment activities decreases motivation because detailed implemental steps and processes alert people to the challenge in resource allocation. However, I find that outcome-oriented individuals view their goal attainment activities as opportunities or resources that will aid in goal achievement. As outcome-oriented individuals are less concerned about resource constraint, motivation increases in an outcome mindset even when a large number of activities are considered as means to attaining a goal.