Adjustment and the Affective Outcomes of Expectancy and Minimal Goal Statements Under Conditions of Success and Failure

Expectancy and minimal goal levels have been hypothesized to be important variables in the adjustment process. The present study focused on three basic questions conceived in Social Learning Theory (Rotter, 1954, 1982). These were, first, changes in expectancy and minimal goal statements under success and failure; second, the relationship of psychological adjustment to minimal goal statements and expectancy minus minimal goal differences; and third, the role of expectancy minus minimal goal differences in affect change. Regarding the first question, results indicated that expectancies and minimal goals rose under success conditions and fell under failure. However, minimal goals fell less under failure than expectancies did, resulting in larger expectancy minus minimal goal differences under success compared to failure. Results concerning the second question indicated that good adjustment was associated with higher minimal goals and smaller expectancy minus minimal goal differences under success, but with lower minimal goals and greater expectancy minus minimal goal differences under failure. Results concerning changes in affect revealed that setting lower minimal goals relative to expectancy was associated with greater increases in positive affect after success and smaller decreases in positive affect after failure. For negative affect change, setting lower minimal goals relative to expectancy was associated with smaller increases after failure, but after success, setting higher minimal goals relative to expectancy was associated with greater decreases in negative affect. Thus, this relationship was isomorphic to the relationship of adjustment to expectancy minus minimal goal differences. These effects were independent of those of performance feedback and adjustment. Discussion of these results focused on measurement issues, methodological considerations, and the theoretical and practical importance of the minimal goal construct as a variable in the adjustment process.