[VCEE Seminar] VCEE seminar 16.04.2021 online

[Mailing list of the VCEE seminar series]

Dear members and friends of the VCEE,

You are invited to attend the VCEE seminar on Friday, April 16, 2021, 
from 10:00 to 11:30 hrs Vienna time.

We will have one speaker: Julia Nafziger (Aarhus University)

This seminar will be held online via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://univienna.zoom.us/j/88243069732?pwd=bnVSa2h4VlhPbmdONjF5WlVoVmRsZz09 
<https://univienna.zoom.us/j/88243069732?pwd=bnVSa2h4VlhPbmdONjF5WlVoVmRsZz09>

*I invite you stay on after the talk to discuss the presented paper with 
Julia Nafziger.*

You'll need to install Zoom in order to join the seminar.

If you don't have Zoom already, you can simply click right now on the 
link above; you'll then be prompted to install it.
If you already have Zoom you can also use the following information:

Meeting ID: 882 4306 9732
Passcode: 5Xi5JS

If you need help, feel free to contact Philipp 
(philipp.kuelpmann at univie.ac.at <mailto:philipp.kuelpmann at univie.ac.at>).

The schedule is:
- 9:40: the waiting room opens
- 9:55: we let everyone into the seminar room
- 10:00--11:00: Presentation
- Afterwards open discussion with everyone

Here is more information about the talk:

*Title:*Self-Set Goals Are Effective Self-Regulation Tools - Despite 
Goal Revision

*Abstract:*A large literature considers goals as motivators. Yet, 
surprisingly little is known about how and why non-binding, self-set 
goals can be effective even though individuals could easily revise such 
goals. To investigate this question, we conduct an online, real-effort 
experiment in which subjects face a tedious but well-paying task.

Depending on the treatment, subjects either set a goal a few days before 
the task or right at the start of the task. In the former case, they may 
or may not be explicitly asked to revise their goal at the start of the 
task. Consistent with the hypothesis that goals are self-regulation 
tools, we observe that goals set before the task are larger than goals 
set at the start of the task. And they are effective: Holding the goal 
level constant, subjects work more when a goal was set a few days before 
the task than when it was set at the start of the task.

Importantly, these results arise even though subjects revise their 
initial goals. They do so no matter whether goal revision is made 
explicit or not - suggesting that unobserved goal revision is an 
important factor for the goal non-achievement often observed in 
experiments and real life.


Best regards,

Wieland Müller