The Automatic Pursuit and Management of Goals

Abstract

This article reviews recent research on the automatic activation and management of goals. In particular, it focuses on research examining the variety of ways in which goals may be automatically brought to mind in everyday settings and how such goal priming may affect individuals' deliberate goal pursuits. Moreover, given the variety of ways in which goals may be automatically activated and the often numerous goals people deliberately choose to pursue, the article also examines an important component of effective self-regulation: automatically managing, or “juggling,” various pursuits in order to best ensure their successful completion.