Ah. So roughly like this: If you can convince people in advance that you can do it, and you find it satisfying for people to think you can do it, you've achieved half of your goals already and therefore have less cause to actually finish the project.
In this model, the effect will be less pronounced when the anouncer doesn't believe that the anouncees really see them as being bound to complete the project. This could be achieved in two ways; the anouncer hears them doubt, or imagines that they doubt. Give open doubt to naive dreamers to help them to avoid this trap.
Popularisation, extremely short
Original Article [pdf]
When intentions go public: does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap?
Source
New York University, Psychology Department, New York, NY 10003, USA. peter.gollwitzer@nyu.edu
Abstract
Based on Lewinian goal theory in general and self-completion theory in particular, four experiments examined the implications of other people taking notice of one's identity-related behavioral intentions (e.g., the intention to read law periodicals regularly to reach the identity goal of becoming a lawyer). Identity-related behavioral intentions that had been noticed by other people were translated into action less intensively than those that had been ignored (Studies 1-3). This effect was evident in the field (persistent striving over 1 week's time; Study 1) and in the laboratory (jumping on opportunities to act; Studies 2 and 3), and it held among participants with strong but not weak commitment to the identity goal (Study 3). Study 4 showed, in addition, that when other people take notice of an individual's identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity.
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