Self-Concordant Goal-Striving as Internalized Motivation: Benefits Beyond Person-Goal Fit

People benefit when their goals are self-concordant, i.e., when their conscious goals fit (or express) their implicit motives and inclinations. Self-concordance/fit is typically operationalized via a relative autonomy index (RAI), derived from self-determination theory (SDT). However, SDT research suggests that autonomous motivation may have other benefits going beyond fit, based on internal resolve to do what is necessary. In 2 studies we randomly assigned participants to pursue either an achievement or an affiliation goal. As in past research, rated self-concordance was greater when the assigned goal fit the participant's measured achievement or affiliative dispositions. As a new finding, self-concordance was also greater when the assigned goal fit the participant's just-expressed goal preference. Most importantly, rated self-concordance predicted goal satisfaction and positive expectancy even after controlling for the significant fit effects, which we interpret as internalized motivation effects. The same pattern occurred for an alternative measure of self-concordance based on the goal's fit with the true self. Discussion considers how such internal resolve may sometimes work against fit, by helping to entrench people in suboptimal goals.