Goal adjustment capacities and quality of life: A meta‐analytic review
2019/05/27 by Meaghan A. Barlow, Meaghan Barlow, Carsten Wrosch +1 · 102 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Applied psychology #Epistemology #Health disparities and outcomes #Philosophy #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Quality (philosophy) #Quality of life (healthcare) #Resilience and Mental Health #Social psychology
paper · doi:10.1111/jopy.12492
published in Journal of Personality 88(2), 307-323 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2019/05/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis quantified associations between goal disengagement and goal reengagement capacities with individuals' quality of life (i.e., well-being and health). METHODS: Effect sizes (Fisher's Z'; N = 421) from 31 samples were coded on several characteristics (e.g., goal adjustment capacity, quality of life type/subtype, age, and depression risk status) and analyzed using meta-analytic random effects models. RESULTS: Goal disengagement (r = 0.08, p < 0.01) and goal reengagement (r = 0.19, p < 0.01) were associated with greater quality of life. While goal disengagement more strongly predicted negative (r = -0.12, p < 0.01) versus positive (r = 0.02, p = 0.37) indicators of well-being, goal reengagement was similarly associated with both (positive: r = 0.24, p < 0.01; negative: r = -0.17, p < 0.01). Finally, the association between goal disengagement and lower depressive symptoms (r = -0.11, p < 0.01) was reversed in samples at-risk for depression (r = 0.08, p = 0.01), and goal disengagement more strongly predicted quality of life in older samples (B = 0.003, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support theory on the self-regulatory functions of individuals' capacities to adjust to unattainable goals, document their distinct benefits, and identify key moderating factors.
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