PUB TYPE Reports- Research/Technical (143) Speeches/Conference Papers (150)

Goal-setting literature has suggested that specific, difficult goals will produce higher performance levels than easy goals. A difficult task or one with negative performance feedback may increase an individual's perceived challenge of the task which may in turn enhance his motivation. Effects of the Protestant work ethic and perceived challenge on subjects ' time allocated to an experimental task were examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, using 49 volunteers, employees of a manufacturing company located in Cleveland, Ohio, the perceived challenge was manipulated by labeling an identical task (anagram solution) as either difficult or easy. Participants completed personality measures including the measurement of their endorsement of the Protestant work ethic. Most time on task occurred for the subjects who scored a low work ethic and when the task was labeled as difficult. For subjects who endorsed the wor