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Goal Self-Concordance (Sheldon)

Psychology: PersonalityReliability: alphas 0.79–0.864 sample items

About this scale

A measure of self-concordance of personal goals — degree to which goals are pursued for autonomous (intrinsic, identified) rather than controlled (introjected, external) reasons.

Sample item(s)

“I pursue this goal because of the fun and enjoyment it provides me (intrinsic)”
“I pursue this goal because of the personal value I place on it (identified)”
“I pursue this goal because I would feel guilty if I didn't (introjected)”
“I pursue this goal because somebody else wants me to (external)”

Reliability

Reported internal consistency: alphas 0.79–0.86. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.

Notes

Anchored in SDT.

Source & citation

Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999): Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: The self-concordance model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 482–497.

Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999): Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: The self-concordance model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 482–497.

Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.

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