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The Progress Bias in Goal Pursuit: When One Step Forward Seems Larger than One Step Back

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  • Margaret C. Campbell
  • Caleb Warren

Abstract

Consumers often pursue goals (e.g., losing weight) where the chance of attaining the goal increases with some behaviors (e.g., exercise) but decreases with others (e.g., eating). Although goal monitoring is known to be a critical step in self-control for successful goal pursuit, little research investigates whether consumers accurately monitor goal progress. Seven experiments demonstrate that consumers tend to show a progress bias in goal monitoring, perceiving that goal-consistent behaviors (e.g., saving $45) help progress more than goal-inconsistent behaviors of the equivalent size (e.g., spending $45) hurt it. Expectations of goal attainment moderate the progress bias; reducing the expectation that the goal will be reached reduces the tendency to perceive goal-consistent behaviors to have a larger impact on goal progress than equivalent goal-inconsistent behaviors. A study on exercise and eating shows that although the progress bias can increase initial goal persistence, it can also lead to premature goal release due to poor calibration of overall progress.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret C. Campbell & Caleb Warren, 2015. "The Progress Bias in Goal Pursuit: When One Step Forward Seems Larger than One Step Back," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(5), pages 1316-1331.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:doi:10.1086/679307
    DOI: 10.1086/679307
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    Cited by:

    1. Peggy J. Liu & Kelly L. Haws & Karen Scherr & Joseph P. Redden & James R. Bettman & Gavan J. Fitzsimons, 2019. "The Primacy of “What” over “How Much”: How Type and Quantity Shape Healthiness Perceptions of Food Portions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(7), pages 3353-3381, July.
    2. Merete Hagen Helland & Gerd Lise Nordbotten, 2021. "Dietary Changes, Motivators, and Barriers Affecting Diet and Physical Activity among Overweight and Obese: A Mixed Methods Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-15, October.
    3. Kao Si & Xianchi Dai, 2022. "The memory-search frame effect: impacts on consumers’ retrieval and evaluation of consumption experiences," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 5-17, March.
    4. Rogelio Puente-Díaz & Judith Cavazos-Arroyo, 2022. "Experiential gifts and the construal of meaningful consumption episodes," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Silverman, Jackie & Barasch, Alixandra P. & Small, Deborah A., 2023. "Hot streak! Inferences and predictions about goal adherence," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).

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