ABSTRACT

Performance ........................................................................................... 198 Pacing and Spacing Overview ............................................................ 201 Initial Time Allocations in Spacing and Pacing ............................... 203 Time and Effort Expended During the Action Cycle (Pacing) ....... 205

On Track ..................................................................................... 206 Negative Goal Discrepancy ..................................................... 207 Positive Goal Discrepancy ....................................................... 208

Spacing While Striving to Reach Deadlines ..................................... 209 Task Procrastination .......................................................................................211 Interruptions ................................................................................................... 213 Discussion ....................................................................................................... 217

Theoretical Contributions .................................................................... 219 Limitations ............................................................................................. 220

Research Questions and Research Design ................................................. 222 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 224 References ....................................................................................................... 224

Goals and their motivational properties have been studied extensively for decades. Until recently, however, the process of goal striving has been largely ignored (Austin & Vancouver, 1996; Frese & Zapf, 1994). Further, little theory or research is reported on the context in which multiple tasks occur (e.g., Kerman & Lord, 1990). Most goal-setting studies, for example, focus on a single task goal. In 2004, Mitchell, Lee, Lee, and Harman proposed their theory of spacing and pacing. In this chapter, we extend Mitchell and colleagues’ original focus on the resources (time and effort) that people allocate to a single task (which we call pacing) and the resources they allocate across tasks (which we call spacing). Further, we add to their theory with ideas on potential obstacles in the pursuit of goal attainment, namely, the negative psychological and behavioral effects of interruptions and procrastination on goal-striving activities.