title: The relevance of goal-orientation for motivation in high versus low proneness to negative symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The psychological mechanisms of why individuals with negative symptoms fail to initiate and perform goal-directed behavior are not well understood. Drawing on the reward-sensitivity and expectancy-value theories, we investigate whether negative symptom-like experiences (NSLE) are associated with generating less approach goals (aimed at reaching a positive outcome) and more avoidance goals (aimed at avoiding a negative outcome) and whether this type of goal-orientation explains motivational deficits (i.e., perceiving goals as less feasible and important and being less committed to them).
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the continuum model of negative symptoms, we identified two parallelized extreme groups with high and low levels of NSLE (n = 37, respectively) in an ad-hoc online-sample of healthy individuals (N = 262) using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences. In an online study, these participants were instructed to generate approach and avoidance goals and to rate each goal in terms of feasibility, importance and goal-commitment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with low levels of NSLE generated more approach than avoidance goals. Participants with high levels of NSLE showed no such difference due to increased numbers of avoidance goals. Furthermore, avoidance goal-orientation predicted reduced subjective feasibility and importance of goals and less goal-commitment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results are based on a healthy sample rather than people with psychosis. No longitudinal or behavioral data for goal-striving was collected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with NSLE generate more avoidance goals than controls. This is dysfunctional because it correlates with feeling less committed to reach one's goals. Optimizing goal-setting could be a promising starting-point for psychological interventions aimed at reducing negative symptoms.
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: bjoern.schlier@uni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schlier
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne-Katharina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Fladung
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fritzsche
authors.affiliation: University of Hamburg, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tania M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lincoln
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010324:Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055815:Young Adult