COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF THE GOAL-SETTING INVENTORY
Rushall, B. S. (1992). Sport psychology consultation system (SPCS). 4225 Orchard Drive, Spring Valley, CA 91977.
A variety of programs are supplied within the Sport Psychology Consultation System (SPCS) to analyze the Goal-setting Inventory (Rushall & Fisdel, 1992). Computer analyses can be developed for individuals or groups and can be output to computer video or printer.
Each analysis indicates features of the total goal-setting process which occur consistently, inconsistently, or never at all. This allows a coach to determine what factors need to be developed in a tested athlete. Some guidance as to what to do is supplied. A sample partial printer output for an individual is provided below. This is provided on the understanding that the reader will recognize that every individual will have a different set of characteristics printed, the diversity of results being quite large. It is also possible to produce "group" or "team" analyses where every feature is printed with the names of each team member to whom the feature is appropriate being listed below.
The Goal-setting Inventory and its associated software is available as a single item, discrete from the total SPCS. Materials are provided which allow a user to produce as many copies of the inventory, answer sheet, and standardized directions as is needed as well as full directions for using the software. The current price of this package is US$350 and can be obtained from Sports Science Associates.
REFERENCES
A Sample Goal-setting Inventory Analysis for an Individual Athlete
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* A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ATHLETE BEHAVIORS *
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* AS REVEALED BY THE *
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* GOAL-SETTING INVENTORIES *
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* (Authors: B. S. Rushall & J. Fisdel, 1987) *
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ATHLETE
A. Sample
08-24-96
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A. Sample Page 1
PART 1: INTRODUCTION
The responses to the GOAL-SETTING INVENTORY are described on the
following pages. They indicate what the athlete believes.
Those features which are undesirable or inconsistent indicate
areas where the coach must take corrective steps to enhance the
effects of goal-setting.
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This athlete answered the inventory honestly.
This individual understands how performance is measured in the
sport.
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A. Sample Page 2
PART 2: GOAL-PERCEPTIONS OF THE ATHLETE
This part describes how the values, uses, and effects of having
goals are viewed by the athlete.
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
This person always has goals.
Goals direct this athlete's sporting activities.
The goals that this athlete has have achievement deadlines
attached to them.
This person has a preferential order for the attainment of the
several goals that he/she has.
Having goals contributes to making the sport enjoyable.
Goals are perceived as being achievable.
No sporting goals are perceived as conflicting with this
athlete's personal values.
All goals are understood.
Goals in the sport are considered as a help to this person.
Team goals motivate this individual to try harder.
This person's goals are stated clearly enough so that others
understand them
B. GOAL-PERCEPTIONS WHICH NEED TO BE ALTERED IN A DESIRABLE MANNER
Goals are occasionally considered to be unreasonable or too
difficult.
When goals are achieved, the rewards or recognition that should
ensue occurs intermittently.
Sporting goals are sometimes perceived as pressuring this per-
son too much.
Sporting goals occasionally are important to this individual.
C PROCEDURES SHOULD BE STARTED TO DEVELOP THE FOLLOWING FEATURES
The establishment of sporting goals.
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A. Sample Page 3
PART 3: GOAL-SETTING INTERACTIONS WITH THE COACH
How the athlete's interactions with the coach are perceived
with regard to goal-setting
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
Reasons for setting this athlete's goals are always given.
The coach encourages this person to reach his/her goals.
This athlete considers he/she participates in the goal-setting
process.
This person believes he/she has some say in how goals should be
achieved.
The coach is considered to be pleased if this person achieves
his/her goals.
Goal-related performance evaluations by the coach are con-
sidered to be positive and constructive.
When goals fail to be achieved, the coach is helpful in sugges-
ting ways to improve.
If the coach makes a mistake that affects this athlete's abil-
ity to reach goals he/she is perceived to admit to the error.
The coach makes sure that this athlete's goals are stated pos-
itively.
This athlete does not like the coach to set his/her goals.
There are no things that this person wants to achieve in the
sport about which the coach is not aware.
The coach and athlete frequently evaluate goal-achievements
together.
The coach frequently asks this individual if there are areas in
training in which he/she can be of assistance.
The coach often tells this athlete what he/she has done that
deserves recognition.
The coach listens to the athlete's explanations and concerns
regarding performance problems.
Steps to solve performance problems are agreed upon by the
athlete and coach.
The athlete leaves a goal-setting meeting knowing specific
goals to be achieved.
Follow-up meetings to goal-setting meetings are scheduled.
B. ATHLETE-COACH INTERACTIONS WHICH NEED TO BE ALTERED IN A
DESIRABLE MANNER - THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE OF THE
DESCRIBED BEHAVIORS SHOULD BE INCREASED.
Sometimes after a goal setting meeting this athlete feels he/
she had only a little input into any of the decisions made.
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A. Sample Page 4
PART 4: THE EFFECTS OF GOALS ON THE ATHLETE
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
Having goals makes this person's sport more interesting.
This athlete derives considerable pride from achieving his/her
sporting goals.
This individual is always disappointed when he/she fails to
achieve goals.
The act of attaining goals increases this person's confidence.
B. GOAL-PERCEPTIONS WHICH OCCUR INCONSISTENTLY AND NEED
TO BE ALTERED TO BECOME A CONSISTENT FEATURE OF THIS
ATHLETE'S BEHAVIOR
Sometimes this person feels he/she disappoints others when
he/she fails to achieve goals.
This athlete is bothered sometimes if other people know what
his/her goals are.
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A. Sample Page 5
PART 5: GOAL-SETTING ACTIONS
This section describes activities that surround the goal-
setting and goal-evaluation process.
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
This individual never sets goals so low that he/she will be
guaranteed of attaining them.
This person's goals are related to the benefits that he/she
will derive when they are achieved.
B. THE FOLLOWING INCONSISTENT FEATURES OF GOAL-SETTING AND
GOAL-EVALUATION NEED TO BE MODIFIED SO THAT THEY BECOME
PERMANENT OR HIGHLY-OCCURRING FEATURES FOR THIS ATHLETE
Teammates sometimes encourage this athlete to achieve goals.
Plans for achieving goals are made only occasionally.
Sometimes this athlete works with other athletes when setting
goals.
This individual occasionally likes to work with other athletes
when setting goals.
This person sometimes prefers to set his/her own goals.
Goals are sometimes written down.
Occasionally this athlete has a time-table to follow to reach
his/her goals.
Only sometimes does this athlete weight his/her strengths and
weaknesses when setting goals.
When team goals are set this person sometimes has input into what
what they should be.
C. FEATURES WHICH NEED TO BE DEVELOPED IN AND FOR THIS ATHLETE
This person should be taught not to change performance goals
once they have been established.
The athlete needs to be encouraged to set ultimate goals for
his/her participation in the sport.
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A. Sample Page 6
PART 6: FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE SETTING OF GOALS
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
This individual feels that his/her training is good enough to
allow him/her to achieve his/her goals.
The way the team/club is run helps this person to achieve his/
her goals.
How well this athlete expects to perform affects the way he/
she goes about trying to achieve goals.
When goals are established this individual's abilities are
taken into account.
Goals which are expressed vaguely help this athlete to perform
well. This is a strange answer and should be questioned by the
coach.
Goals that indicate exactly how this athlete is to perform help
him/her to do well.
This athlete is in control of the events which will determine
whether he/she achieves goals.
This athlete understands his/her goals well enough to be able
to understand his/her progress towards them.
B. THE FOLLOWING FEATURES OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND SHOULD BE
MODIFIED SO THAT THEY BECOME PERMANENT OR HIGHLY OCCURRING
FEATURES FOR THIS ATHLETE
When this athlete fails to achieve goals they are sometimes
altered.
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A. Sample Page 7
PART 7: RELATIONSHIP OF GOALS TO PERFORMANCE
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A. ESTABLISHED FEATURES
The goals that have been established for this individual are
viewed as being helpful.
This athlete establishes a goal for every skill or task that
is attempted in training.
This individual always performs well when he/she has a good
chance of achieving his/her goals.
When this individual is uncertain about achieving a goal, he/
she tries harder.
When goals are made more difficult this athlete tries harder.
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A. Sample Page 8
PART 8: OTHER FACTORS
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It is important for this athlete to continually improve per-
forenames in training.
It is important for this person to perform well in training.
This individual prefers competitions which are more difficult
than easy.
This individual likes goals that indicate improved performance
standards when they are achieved.
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A. Sample Page 9
PART 9: TYPES OF GOALS
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This athlete has established career goals.
This person's career goals were established jointly with the
coach.
This person has established relatively long-term goals.
This person's relatively long-term goals were established by
him/herself.
If this athlete fails to achieve his/her long-term goals he/
she may consider whether continuing participation is worth it.
This athlete has established performance goals.
This person's performance goals were established jointly with
the coach.
This individual believes he/she can achieve his/her performance
goals.
This person is uncertain whether he/she has established progress
goals.
END OF ANALYSIS
Copyright Sports Science Associates
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