Development of Long-Term Goals: Goal Dynamics (GOLDY) Model

The development of abstract and long-term goals can be understood through a complex adaptive system lens. In this approach, goals are modelled as independent agents that interact with each other, the internal and external environment and themselves. Thus, people’s behavior can be understood as a multitude of dynamically changing and interacting agents, all influencing each other and reacting to changes in the system and in the environment. Stability and change within the goal system then emerge from the interactions over time of all the goals. Moreover, the bottom-up resolution of the conflict between goals creates new goals that combine features of existing goals. These new goals are more abstract and long-term than the underlying goals. Overall, a dynamic approach to goals helps to explain the emergence of stable goal-driven behavior that is adaptable to changing situations and develops over time. It may also help to explain the emergence of individual differences in goal structure as well.