Developing and testing dynamic models of goal striving in approach and avoidance contexts (2012-2014)

This project examines how people set, strive for and revise goals in a dynamic environment with competing priorities, such as safety and productivity. An example of such an environment is air traffic control. We examine how approach and avoidance framing influences goal striving, and how people make trade-offs amongst goals that are framed in different ways. We develop statistical and computational models of the goal striving process and test these models under experimentally controlled but realistic conditions using an Air Traffic Control simulator. The results will show how people can manage competing goals more effectively.