Self-efficacy vs. action orientation: Comparing and contrasting two determinants of goal setting and goal striving

We compared and contrasted two dispositional determinants of adaptive goal setting and successful goal striving: Self-efficacy, the confidence in own abilities, and action orientation, the ability of intuitive affect regulation. Based on a theoretical comparison, we hypothesized that self-efficacy increases autonomous motivation, whereas action orientation reduces controlled motivation in goal setting. Furthermore, both self-efficacy and action...