The Value of Feedback and Goal Setting Over Goal Setting Alone and Potential Moderators of this Effect: a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract This meta-analysis extends goal setting research by using 16 effect sizes to compare feedback plus goal setting conditions to goal-setting-only conditions (d = .63). Moderator analyses provided strong support for task complexity as a moderator of the magnitude of the resulting effect size. The effect size for complex tasks was found to be over double the value for simple tasks. The source of external feedback, on the other hand, did not moderate the effect of adding feedback to goal setting.