Objectives

Research has linked goal setting to improved well-being. Underlying mechanisms for how this works are not well understood. Prior research has explored the impact of interrelated goals (facilitation and conflict), client variables (anxiety and somatic symptoms), and anxiety-reducing procedures (meditation). The aim of this study was to use Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory to explore the relation between goal conflict, goal facilitation, anxiety, and mindfulness on somatic symptoms.

Methods

Undergraduate college students (n=454) completed self-report measures assessing interrelated goals, generalized anxiety, mindfulness, and somatic symptoms.

Results

Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested our primary hypothesized model that anxiety would mediate interrelated goals and somatic symptoms. While the model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = .946, RMSEA = .066, SRMR = .050), and full mediation for goal conflict and somatic symptoms was found, goal facilitation did not. An alternative model removed goal facilitation, and found an even better fit (CFI = .954, RMSEA = .067, SRMR = .046). Mindfulness was conceptualized as an exogenous variable and SEM tested the relationship between goal conflict, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. This model fit the data well (CFI = .940, RMSEA = .062, SRMR = .053). While mindfulness significantly predicted goal conflict, and goal conflict predicted anxiety, the indirect effect between mindfulness and anxiety was not significant.

Conclusions

Setting goals is a complex process; goal conflict was associated with increased levels of anxiety and somatic symptoms. Those who endorse mindful practices were less affected by goal conflict.

中文翻译：

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探索相互关联的目标、焦虑和正念对躯体症状的影响

目标

研究已将目标设定与改善福祉联系起来。其工作原理的潜在机制尚不清楚。先前的研究探索了相互关联的目标（促进和冲突）、客户变量（焦虑和躯体症状）和减轻焦虑的程序（冥想）的影响。本研究的目的是使用强化敏感性理论来探讨目标冲突、目标促进、焦虑和正念对躯体症状的关系。

方法

本科生 ( n = 454) 完成了评估相关目标、广泛性焦虑、正念和躯体症状的自我报告测量。

结果

结构方程模型 (SEM) 测试了我们的主要假设模型，即焦虑会介导相互关联的目标和躯体症状。虽然模型表现出可接受的拟合（CFI = .946，RMSEA = .066，SRMR = .050），并且发现了目标冲突和躯体症状的完全中介，但目标促进没有。一个替代模型去除了目标促进，并发现了更好的拟合（CFI = .954，RMSEA = .067，SRMR = .046）。正念被概念化为一个外生变量，SEM 测试了目标冲突、焦虑和躯体症状之间的关系。该模型很好地拟合了数据（CFI = .940，RMSEA = .062，SRMR = .053）。虽然正念显着预测目标冲突，目标冲突预测焦虑，但正念和焦虑之间的间接影响不显着。

结论

设定目标是一个复杂的过程；目标冲突与焦虑和躯体症状的增加有关。那些赞同正念练习的人受目标冲突的影响较小。