New ECU research has revealed why the reasons we pursue our goals either help or hinder wellbeing.
A new study has revealed there's more to happiness and wellbeing than simply chasing goals, it also comes down to why you're chasing them.
The study by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the University of Liverpool, led by ECU Professor Joanne Dickson, surveyed 197 people from Australia and Singapore. Participants identified their two most meaningful personal goals, explained their reasons for pursuing them, and completed a subjective wellbeing survey.
Professor Dickson said while several studies have shown a positive association between goal striving and subjective wellbeing, far less research has investigated the personal motives that drive and energise personal goal pursuit and their relationship to subjective wellbeing.
Why we pursue goals matters
Professor Dickson said the study highlighted the importance of understanding why we strive toward certain goals.
"Our research shows that people who freely pursue goals for reasons connected to their relationships, such as strengthening bonds with loved ones, tend to experience greater happiness and wellbeing," she said.
"In contrast, the study found that when people are driven by external pressures such as the situation demands it, or feelings of guilt or shame if they don't pursue a goal, then they reported lower levels of wellbeing."
Autonomy is generally good
The study also examined the impact of personal autonomy on wellbeing.
Professor Dickson said pursuing goals based on personal interests and values, known as personally autonomous motivation, is generally associated with personal wellbeing – but in this study itwas linked to higher wellbeing for Singaporeans, but not Australians.
"We don't yet fully understand why this difference exists. This finding warrants further investigation," she said.
External pressures can be detrimental to wellbeing
Professor Dickson explained that regardless of nationality, the study showed pursuing goals due to external pressures, whether societal expectations, obligations, or a fear of failure, was associated with lower wellbeing.
"When people feel they 'have to' do something rather than genuinely and freely wanting to pursue a personal goal, it can take a toll on their mental health," she said.
Professor Dickson said the findings suggest that psychological interventions should consider not just what goals people set, but also why they set them and why they pursue them.
"The underlying reasons directing and energising goal pursuit, represent a deeper level of motivation," she said.
The study included participants from two countries, Australia and Singapore and indicates the importance that personal motivation plays in people's lives and their subjective wellbeing across countries.
"Testing these findings in more countries is needed to further validate the relationship between distinct motives that drive and energise goal pursuit and subjective wellbeing across nationalities, cultures, and other socioeconomic and demographic contexts," Professor Dickson said.
The study 'Why do we pursue the personal goals we do? The relationships between distinct goal motives and subjective wellbeing' was published in The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.
