Abstract
Purpose of the study. The purpose of the study was to examine (1) the effects of participatory goal-setting processes on attitude and behavior (rather than job performance or academic achievement), (2) the role of goal acceptance as an intervening variable between goal-setting treatments and final effects, and (3) goal setting as an intervention with juvenile delinquent subjects. The study examined the effects of goal source and method of receipt of goal on five dependent variables: overall attitude toward school, satisfaction with school, commitment to class work, reactions to teachers and behavior in school. Methodology. A posttest only experimental design was used to examine the differences among four groups: (1) conference + assigned goals, (2) conference + opportunity to modify, (3) no conference + assigned goals, and (4) no conference + opportunity to modify. Cluster sampling was utilized with random selection of groups and random assignment of treatment to groups. Major findings. Students who had a conference had better behavior and a more positive attitude toward school than those who did not have a conference. Students who had an opportunity to modify goals had greater satisfaction with school and greater commitment to classwork than those who were assigned goals. Goal acceptance did not significantly interact with goal source to influence student attitude or behavior. Goal acceptance did interact significantly with method of receipt to influence one attitude variable: commitment to classwork.