ABSTRACT
In the behavioral sciences, for a theory to be complete, it must enable scientists and practitioners to do five things, namely, to (1) predict, (2) explain, and (3) influence an individual’s behavior. Furthermore, a theory must identify the (4) moderators or boundary conditions and the (5) mediators that explain causal relationships. An example of a theory that satisfies these five conditions is Locke and Latham’s (1990, 2013) goal-setting theory, where planning is a mediating variable.
