The interactive relationship between implicit cognition and goal pursuit

Abstract

The traditional view of goal is that goals are set and pursued in a deliberate and controlled way, yet in the last two decades, researchers have focused on the implicit cognitive process involved in personal goal pursuit. This article presents contemporary work on this topic and shows a holistic picture of the relationship between implicit cognition and goal pursuit. Research shows that implicit cognition plays a critical role in the process of goal pursuit including the initial activation, the action during, and the eventual outcome. The manner in which implicit cognition influences goal pursuit is interactive and creates either a positive or negative feedback loop. Factors include the implicit need of achievements, implicit evaluation of goal-relevant experience and implicit thoughts promoted by the goal all contribute to the feedback loop. Certain components of implicit cognition are also predictive of goal attainment, such as the implicit importance of means towards achievement. The enriched existing data and findings on the topic offer valuable insights and lay a solid foundation for future research.